ELECTRONICS

Copper Foil Anodes

Copper foil is a key component in the manufacture of printed circuit board industry. Since impedance is affected by the cross-sectional area of the copper trace, it is imperative that the thickness of the foil is controlled to ±2.5%.


The copper foil industry utilizes a radial cell configuration whereby the gap between the anodes and rotating cathode drum must be maintained to as little as 5 mm. DSA® makes it possible to operate with a larger electrode gap for better foil uniformity with significantly less energy consumption than lead anodes.


Unlike lead anodes DSA® anode is dimensionally stable so its surface never changes. In addition, the design of the anode is such that it allows the anode to conform to the radial configuration of the cell during installation, and once installed will retain its shape, and hence, the stringent anode planarity requirement.


PWB (Printed Circuit Board) Plating Anodes

In acid copper plating for circuit boards, sensitive organic additives are used to promote grain refinement and leveling of the plated surface. These organic additives must be maintained at optimum concentrations to produce quality product and to thereby maximize yields. De Nora developed its proprietary De Nora DT™ anodes coating be comparable to standard soluble copper anodes in limiting the destruction of organic additives. The De Nora DT™ anodes has been accepted by the printed circuit board industry as the only industry approved alternative to soluble copper anodes.

Platinum Anodes: Pin Conductor Gold Plating

To improve the electrical performance conductors are plated initially with nickel and then with gold or tin through a high efficiency electrolytic process in order to have:

  • Low contact resistance
  • Good wear resistance and diminish surface oxidation
  • Corrosion Protection

Applications:

  • Ultra-thin semi-conductor
  • RF and microwave connectors
  • Cable connectors
  • Antenna solutions
  • PCB connectors

Acid Copper Plating Anodes

One of the most basic and widely practiced forms of plating is acid copper plating. De Nora has been a leader in developing and patenting anode structures and specialized coatings for this diversified industry. From the copper foil industry to the rotogravure printing industry De Nora has been on the forefront of technological innovation.


Aluminium Anodizing Anodes

De Nora supplies the majority of aluminum anodizing anodes, which are primarily used for the anodizing of aluminum sheet in a continuous process line. Anodizing aluminum sheet prepares the sheet for use as printing plates in the newspaper, packaging, photographic paper industries.


Pickling Anodes

In recent years DSA® anodes have been successfully used as a direct replacement of conventional anodes made of Lead (Pb) cladding over copper or steel substrates. The use of De Nora’s inert DSA® type anodes:

  • Eliminates the risk of any additional toxic or hazardous substances being introduced to the process line
  • Reduces or eliminates costs associated with hazardous waste disposal and the worries of Lead contamination on the finished product.

E-coat

E-coat is a term that stands for electrolytic coating. The most common anode material used in the e-coat process is stainless steel and although stainless steel is inexpensive and readily available the by-product of the anodic dissolution process is iron oxide or rust. The release of these iron oxides can cause problems. DSA® anodes can prevent this problem.