Our Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution plates a truer shade of yellow gold, similar to the Swiss colour standard 1N.
You can get a clear idea of this shade of gold by ordering our yellow gold swatch. Please see ‘Related Products’ below.
This tank plating solution is ready to use straight out of the bottle – no pre-mixing required.
Why choose Spa Plating?
Wesave you time and money because…
Our plating solutions have been fully tested for optimum efficiency and ease of use.
We have developed unique equipment such as our power source, the MultiPlater and processes that get the best out of every product we sell
Our Plating Calculators take the guess work out of achieving top quality plating results for the minimum time and cost
We provide free online technical support via our YouTube channel and on each product page under the Blue Tabbed Panel.
HS Code: 3824 99 70
This addition to our range of gold tank plating solutions plates a shade of bright yellow gold. It is noticeably yellower than our standard gold tank plating solution, which has a reddish hue. Use our Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution Calculator to plate to vermeil standard with this solution.
This gold plating solution can be used with one of our magnetic stirrers and our jig holders to reduce the cost of equipment.
Here’s a video showing how to plate to vermeil standard with this solution using our MultiPlater.
Under the video is a kit list for everything you’ll need to do this yourself.
We used 250ml volumes of our Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution and Cleaner so the corresponding beakers were 250ml
Can be used with the same equipment included in our High Speed Gold Tank Plating Kit.
Maintaining the plating solution
Gold is removed from the plating solution as it is deposited onto the work. Use Gold Tank Replenisher to replace the gold used during plating and maintain the gold concentration of the solution.
The recommended working life of the solution is up to 5 gold turnovers. A gold turnover means that an amount of gold equal to the original gold content of the bath has been added as replenisher. For example, 1 litre of Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution contains 4 g of gold, so 5 turnovers corresponds to a total of 20 g of gold being added during the working life of the bath. This does not mean that the bath can only be replenished five times.
You can keep your Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution depositing bright, shiny layers for longer by adding a few drops of our Yellow Gold Tank Brightener. See under ‘Tech Specs’ for more information.
Yellow Gold Tank Plating Calculator
How to use this calculator:
Enter the required thickness in microns. One micron is one thousandth of a millimetre.
Enter the surface area you are plating in square centimetres (cm²).
Click ‘Calculate’.
Read the amp setting for your rectifier and the plating time. Time is shown as hours:minutes:seconds.
If using a coulometer, use the Coulombs (C) result as your target charge. Start from zero and plate until the counter reaches this value, using the amp setting shown.
The next result shows the volume of Yellow Gold Tank Replenisher to add at the start of the job.
The final result shows the estimated weight of gold plated in grams.
Click ‘Print Page’ to print a report containing your inputs and results.
When using a coulometer, avoid creating a short circuit: charge passed through a short circuit does not contribute to the deposit and can make the reading inaccurate or invalidate the result.
Operating Conditions and Deposit Data
Plating Factor
0.01 A/cm2
Plating rate
1 micron every twenty minutes at 0.01 A/cm2
(0.05 micron per minute)
Temperature
18 – 25 °C
pH
3.4 – 3.6
Gold concentration
4 grams per litre
Agitation
Medium – high
Electrode
Platinum Rod Electrode (preferably bagged)
Gold content in plate
22.5 karat
Cathode efficiency
30 – 35% at Plating Factor = 0.01A/cm2
Hardness
200 Hv
Density of deposit
19.2 g/cm3
Stress
Low – medium
Recommended maximum bath life
5 gold turnovers
Special storage requirements
Away from sunlight
Shelf life
Up to 1 year
Health and Safety classification
Harmful
Special considerations
Contains potassium cyanide (0.15%)
Transport (UN number)
None: Not classified as dangerous for transport
Notes
Gold is removed from the solution as it is deposited onto the work. Use Gold Tank Replenisher to replace the gold used during plating and maintain the gold concentration at approximately 4 g/L.
The recommended maximum working life of the solution is 5 gold turnovers. One turnover is an amount of gold equal to the original gold content of the bath. A 1 litre bath initially contains 4 g of gold, so one turnover corresponds to 250 ml of Gold Tank Replenisher. Five turnovers therefore corresponds to a cumulative addition of 20 g of gold, equivalent to 1.25 litres of Gold Tank Replenisher. This is the total amount added over the working life of the bath and does not mean that the solution can only be replenished five times.
Occasional brightener additions are required. The usual addition is 0.1 ml of Yellow Gold Tank Plating Brightener per one litre of plating solution. Do not add more than 0.2 ml of Yellow Gold Tank Plating Brightener per litre of solution at any one time.
Thicknesses of over 0.5 micron will need light polishing with MPU.
The time taken to attain Vermeil standard is approximately 50 minutes.
Because the gold plated with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution is an alloy and therefore not 100% pure gold, a thicker layer must be applied to meet the Vermeil standard. The additional thickness required is proportional to the reduction in gold purity. At 22.5 karat (93.8% purity), this requires an extra 0.17 micron beyond the 2.5 micron standard, resulting in a revised Vermeil requirement of 2.7 microns.
Delivery information
We ship worldwide, except for products that carry a UN classification for transport.
UK courier delivery (FedEx/APC): We use FedEx and APC. Delivery usually takes 2–7 working days from dispatch.
Royal Mail: Available for a limited range of non-liquid UK orders. Usually 5-10 working days from dispatch.
Free UK mainland delivery: On orders over £200.
International delivery: Usually 5-10 working days from dispatch.
Shipping costs: Add the items you require to your shopping cart and click ‘View cart’. Towards the bottom of the cart page, click ‘Calculate shipping’, select your country and enter your postcode. Then click ‘Calculate Shipping Costs’ to see the delivery charge.
VAT, import taxes and duties: For orders delivered outside the UK, we do not charge UK VAT once the delivery country has been selected correctly. Your destination country may charge its own import VAT or other local taxes when the goods arrive. Customs or import duty may also apply, depending on the product and destination. Import VAT and customs duty are separate charges, although the courier or customs authority may collect them together. We do not include these charges in our prices or delivery charges, and you are responsible for paying them.
Please click on the link below to download the SDS for this product:
MultiPlater: red light remains on, indicating that no current is flowing. Third-party power supply: zero amps.
Check all electrical connections and contact points. Clean the contact points if necessary.
Reverse polarity
Current may still flow, but gold does not deposit. The workpiece may show signs of anodic attack.
Correct the polarity: workpiece negative (–), anode positive (+).
Plating is dull or matt
Plating onto a porous or poorly finished surface
The gold deposit is sound but reproduces the dull, porous or uneven finish of the surface underneath.
Polish the article to the required finish before plating.
Brightener depleted
The deposit has gradually become duller as the solution has been used. Plating may also be faster than expected because depletion of the brightener can increase cathode efficiency.
Add Yellow Gold Tank Plating Brightener. The usual addition is 0.1 mL per litre of plating solution. Do not add more than 0.2 mL per litre at any one time.
Organic contamination
The deposit becomes dull or matt despite the other operating conditions being correct.
Treat the plating solution with Carbon Powder to remove organic contamination.
Burnt deposit, especially on corners and edges
Amps too high
Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution is relatively resistant to edge burning, but excessive amps can eventually produce a dark or burnt deposit, usually appearing first on corners, edges and other high-current areas.
Localised burning occurs on the part of the article closest to or directly facing the anode.
Move the article in the beaker or rearrange the anodes to increase the distance between the article and the anode.
Gold content too high
Burning occurs despite otherwise suitable operating conditions, particularly after excessive additions of Gold Tank Replenisher.
Reduce the amps in 10% increments until burning disappears. Do not add further Gold Tank Replenisher. As the excess gold is gradually plated out, increase the amps towards the normal setting.
Too little agitation
Burning or darkening occurs in higher-current areas and agitation is below the recommended medium–high level.
Increase agitation to within the recommended range.
Temperature too low
Burning occurs when the solution temperature is below the minimum recommended operating temperature of 18 °C.
Increase the solution temperature to within the recommended range of 18–25 °C.
Gold concentration has fallen / solution needs replenishing
Gold has been removed from the solution during plating
Gold is removed from the plating solution as it is deposited onto the work. As the solution is used, the gold concentration will gradually fall unless it is replenished.
Use Gold Tank Replenisher to replace the gold used during plating and maintain the gold concentration at approximately 4 g/L.
Uncertainty about how much replenisher to add
A 1 litre bath of Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution initially contains 4 g of gold. Gold Tank Replenisher contains 16 g/L gold, so replacing 4 g of gold requires 250 ml of replenisher.
Keep a record of the cumulative volume of Gold Tank Replenisher added. For a 1 litre bath, 250 ml of replenisher corresponds to one gold turnover.
Confusing five turnovers with five replenishment additions
The recommended maximum working life is 5 gold turnovers. This does not mean that the solution can only be replenished five times.
One turnover is an amount of gold equal to the original gold content of the bath. For a 1 litre bath, 5 turnovers corresponds to a cumulative addition of 20 g of gold, equivalent to 1.25 litres of Gold Tank Replenisher.
Bath has reached the recommended turnover limit
The cumulative amount of Gold Tank Replenisher added has reached approximately 1.25 litres for a 1 litre bath.
The bath has reached the recommended maximum working life of 5 gold turnovers. Replace the plating solution rather than continuing to replenish it indefinitely.
Incorrect plating thickness
Incorrect surface area estimated or calculated
This is likely to be the most common cause. The measured thickness differs from the target even though the calculated amp setting and plating time were used. Irregular shapes, edges, recesses and multiple surfaces are easily underestimated.
Recheck the total surface area in cm² and enter the corrected area and required thickness into the Yellow Gold Tank Plating Calculator. If you are unsure how to estimate the surface area, ask our Technical Assistant for help.
Temperature differs from that used for the calculation
The calculated amp setting and plating time have been followed, but the measured thickness is consistently higher or lower than expected.
The plating time was calculated correctly but the deposit is thinner than expected. This may occur after adding Yellow Gold Tank Plating Brightener because the brightener reduces cathode efficiency and therefore reduces the deposition rate.
Recalculate or verify the plating time under the actual working conditions. For thickness-critical work, confirm the finished deposit by XRF or deposited weight.
Deposit is bright but rough
Particulate contamination of the plating solution
The deposit retains its normal bright yellow-gold appearance but develops a rough or gritty surface. A common source is abrasive residue carried into the solution from the workpiece, particularly material trapped in holes, recesses and relief work. Dust from buffing and polishing machines is another major source of particulate contamination.
Thoroughly rinse and inspect workpieces after polishing or abrasive preparation, paying particular attention to holes, recesses and relief work. Keep the plating area and solution protected from buffing and polishing dust. If contamination has entered the solution, filter it through suitable filter paper or use continuous cartridge filtration.
Deposit is pitted
Gas bubbles reaching or adhering to the workpiece
Small pits or pinholes appear where gas bubbles have contacted or remained on the surface. Gas is generated at both electrodes, with a substantial proportion generated at the anode. Excessively vigorous stirring can also draw air into the solution through the vortex produced by the stirrer.
Use an anode bag as recommended for Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution. The bag helps prevent bubbles generated at the anode from reaching the workpiece. Use medium–high agitation, but avoid stirring so rapidly that a deep vortex forms and draws air into the solution. Reposition the article if necessary to prevent bubbles becoming trapped in recesses.
Particulate contamination
Pits occur randomly and may be accompanied by roughness. Particles temporarily adhering to the surface can interfere with deposition.
Filter the solution and eliminate the source of contamination. Check especially for abrasive residues carried in on workpieces and buffing or polishing dust entering the plating area.
Grease or oil contamination on the workpiece
Pitting or small areas of poor coverage occur despite otherwise normal plating conditions. Water may bead or pull away from contaminated areas during rinsing.
Repeat the surface preparation. Degrease thoroughly, then use the appropriate Spa Plating cleaning/activation process before replating.
Unplated areas
Inadequate cleaning or activation
Gold fails to deposit in isolated areas, often with an irregular boundary. A water-break during rinsing can indicate remaining grease or contamination.
Repeat the surface preparation, making sure the article is thoroughly degreased and correctly activated before plating.
Porous, deeply scratched or poorly prepared underlying surface
The unplated areas correspond with pores, deep scratches, pits or other defects in the underlying surface.
Mechanically prepare or polish the surface to remove the defects before repeating the surface preparation and plating.
Underlying metal is difficult to plate directly
Plating is satisfactory on some areas or materials but consistently fails on the particular underlying metal.
Check the Process Sequences tab and use the correct preparation and plating sequence for the metal being plated.
Vertical tide marks
Gas bubbles coalescing and travelling up the surface of the workpiece
Vertical streaks or tide-like marks form in the direction that bubbles travel upwards across the surface.
Use a bagged platinum rod electrode to help control anode-generated gas. Adjust the position of the workpiece and agitation so that bubbles are carried away rather than travelling repeatedly over the plated surface.
Poor agitation pattern or eddies produced by the stirrer
The marks occur in a repeatable pattern and may change or disappear when the workpiece position or stirring speed is changed.
Reposition the workpiece or stirrer and adjust the stirring speed to produce good solution movement without strong localised eddies or a vortex.
Plating fails the adhesive tape test or peels
Inadequate cleaning or activation
The Yellow Gold deposit fails the adhesive tape test or subsequently peels from the underlying surface.
Remove the poorly adhered deposit and repeat the surface preparation, making sure the article is thoroughly degreased and correctly activated where activation is required before replating.
Incorrect preparation method for the metal being plated
The plating fails the adhesive tape test or adhesion problems occur consistently on a particular underlying metal even though the surface appears clean.
Check the Process Sequences tab and use the correct preparation and plating sequence for the metal being plated.
Existing plating layer is poorly adhered
The plating fails the adhesive tape test or peels together with an underlying plating layer. Examine the underside of the material removed by the tape. Its colour can help identify which plated layer has failed. For example, a gold-coloured underside indicates failure at the gold interface, while a silver- or copper-coloured underside indicates that the silver or copper plated layer respectively has failed at the interface beneath it.
Remove the unstable plating back to a sound, well-adhered surface before replating. A new Yellow Gold deposit cannot improve the adhesion of an unstable underlying layer.
Platinum electrode becomes discoloured
Metallic gold has deposited onto the platinum electrode
The platinum rod develops a gold, brown or darker discolouration during use. This is metallic gold deposited onto the electrode and is not detrimental to the functioning of the plating solution, provided the electrode is bagged.
No corrective action is normally required. Continue using the platinum rod electrode with a suitable anode bag.
Preparing the surface for electroplating - creating a water break-free surface
Good surface preparation is one of the most important steps in successful electroplating. In fact, many plating problems occur because the metal surface hasn't been cleaned or prepared properly.
Before you start plating, your aim is to achieve a water break-free surface. This gives your plating solution the best possible chance of producing a sound, well-adhered finish.
The following guidance applies to pen, brush and tank electroplating.
What Is a Water Break-Free Surface?
A water break-free surface is a metal surface that’s completely clean and free from grease, oil and other contamination.
You can check this by holding your item under gently running water.
If the water flows evenly across the surface without forming droplets or pulling away into patches, you’ve achieved a water break-free surface.
However, if the water gathers into droplets or breaks apart, contamination may still be present. You’ll need to repeat the cleaning process before plating.
The photograph of the copper sheet above shows the difference.
On the top half of the copper sheet, contamination causes the water to gather into droplets.
On the bottom half, the water drains away evenly because the surface is clean. This is the water break-free finish you’re aiming for.
Step 1: Make Sure Your Metal Has the Finish You Want
Before cleaning, check that your item has the surface finish you want to achieve.
Electroplating follows the contours of the underlying metal. Therefore, it won’t hide scratches or turn a matt surface into a highly polished one.
If your item needs polishing, complete this first.
If your work needs a lot of polishing and surface finishing you will need to make sure all of the residue from these processes are completely removed before attempting to electroplate.
For more information, see our guide to Hand and Machine Polishing Metal for Electroplating.
Step 2: Removing Polishing Compounds, Grease and Dirt
If you’ve polished your item with Autosol or used a polishing machine, you’ll need to remove any remaining polishing compounds.
Start by cleaning the surface with a suitable solvent or our MetaPrep.
Next, use liquid detergent to remove any remaining solvent or MetaPrep.
Finally, rinse thoroughly under running water until you’ve removed all traces of detergent.
This initial cleaning stage prepares your item for the final cleaning and activation process.
Step 3: Clean and Activate the Surface
Cleaning removes dirt, grease and oil. Activation removes the oxide layer that can form on metal surfaces.
Some metals, particularly stainless steel, nickel and nickel-containing alloys such as nickel silver, need special attention because of their oxide layers.
Spa Plating offers several ways to clean and activate your work. The best method depends on the metal you’re plating, its size and its surface condition.
For Small and Medium-Sized Items
If your item has a fairly smooth surface and isn’t made from stainless steel, nickel or a nickel-containing alloy, we recommend MPU (MetaPrep Ultra).
MPU removes remaining traces of oil while activating the metal surface at the same time.
Apply it using tissue paper, making sure you treat the whole surface.
For Stainless Steel, Nickel and More Difficult Surfaces
If you’re preparing stainless steel, nickel or nickel-containing alloys, we recommend our ActiClean.
ActiClean cleans and activates the surface in one process.
It’s also a useful choice for very large items or those with uneven surfaces.
For this process, use a Carbon Electrode, preferably, or a Platinum Electrode.
For Tank Plating and Items with Recesses
If you’re preparing items for tank plating, you can use our powered Cleaning Beaker together with our Cleaner. You can use our in-house designed and manufactured MultiPlater to power this stage.
This powered immersion method is particularly useful for items with rough surfaces or recesses.
For example, some surfaces may catch on a cleaning swab, while recessed areas can trap traces of MPU. The Cleaning Beaker provides an alternative way to prepare these items.
Step 4: Check for a Water Break-Free Surface
Once you’ve completed the cleaning and activation process, it’s time for the final check.
Hold your item under gently running water and watch how the water behaves.
If it flows evenly across the surface without forming droplets or breaking apart, your item has passed the water break-free test.
However, if the water gathers into droplets or pulls away from certain areas, repeat the appropriate cleaning steps.
Don’t start plating until you’ve achieved a water break-free surface.
Ready to Start Plating?
Once you’ve achieved a water break-free surface, you’re ready to move on to the appropriate plating process for your metal.
Remember, taking a little extra care during surface preparation can make a considerable difference to your final plating result.
Plating yellow gold on copper, brass and bronze
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Acticlean/Activator dip (no power)
Rinse
Plate a barrier layer of nickel with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns. If it’s not possible to plate nickel due to specifications, consider an alternative metal like palladium
Rinse
Plate with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution
Note: Some types of brass may be difficult to plate directly with nickel. In this case, plate with Alkaline Copper Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm² prior to nickel plating.
Plating yellow gold on nickel and its alloys (such as nickel silver and Monel)
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate an adhesion layer of gold with NiPrep
No need to rinse, go directly to the gold plating stage
Plate with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution
Note: Nickel and its alloys may also be prepared for plating by gold striking, which is included below.
Plating yellow gold on stainless steel and difficult-to-plate metals such as surgical instruments and dental alloys
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate an adhesion layer with Gold Strike Tank
Rinse
Plate with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution
Note: Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution has been found to plate directly onto some less-passive stainless steels, producing deposits up to approximately 0.5 microns. Results depend on the type and condition of the stainless steel, so the Gold Strike process above remains the recommended method where reliable adhesion is required.
Plating yellow gold on to steel and iron
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm²
Rinse
Build up with Copper Tank Plating Solution (see note at end of article)
Rinse
Plate a barrier layer of nickel with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns. If it’s not possible to plate nickel due to specifications, consider an alternative metal like palladium
Rinse
Plate with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution
Plating yellow gold on zinc (also see individual product pages)
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm² (see note below)
Rinse
Build up with Copper Tank Plating Solution (see note at end of article)
Rinse
Plate with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns
Rinse
Plate with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution
Note: For best results, zinc needs to be mechanically finished prior to plating. We advise polishing, linishing or very fine scratch brushing, such as the finish obtained with fine Scotch-Brite™ mops. Attempting to plate on a coarse scratch-brushed surface will result in poor adhesion and unplated areas.
Plating yellow gold on to aluminium
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Zincate in Zincate Dip for 30 seconds to 2 minutes
Rinse
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm²
Rinse
Build up with Copper Tank Plating Solution (see note at end of article)
Nickel plate with Nickel Tank Plating Solution
Rinse
Plate with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution
Plating yellow gold on tin and its alloys (pewter, Britannia metal and solder)
Degrease
Electroclean
Rinse
Plate with Alkaline Copper Tank Plating Solution for 5 minutes at plating factor 0.01 A/cm²
Rinse
Plate a barrier layer of nickel with Nickel Tank Plating Solution to at least 3 microns. If it’s not possible to plate nickel due to specifications, consider an alternative metal like palladium
Rinse
Plate with Yellow Gold Tank Plating Solution
More information about each process can be found on the individual product pages.
Note: If the article is expected to be used outdoors (for example, car parts), a protective copper layer of at least 10 microns should be plated with Copper Tank Plating Solution after the alkaline copper stage. After this, the article should be removed from the process and mechanically finished (polishing, linishing or fine scratch brushing) prior to nickel plating.
