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Subject: Re: Regenerating CuCl

From: "Phil" <phil1960us@...>
Date: 2005-09-06

I never got anything close to 9 minute etches with cucl. Probably too
weak. Dull green was more like olive drab.

By the way, I just added a new heater to my tank and did 6 pcbs. I
got 5 minute etches on 1 oz, ds boards (2 at a time) with a not so
fresh solution of AP at 120 F. not bad at all.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Adam Seychell <a_seychell@y...>
wrote:
> Dull green is ok, only when it becomes brown is the problem. If you
> dilute a bit of it and it turns bright green then its pretty much
> regenerated. But, this doesn't necessarily mean it'll etch ok.
>
> I here a lot of people on this group that cannot get air re-generated
> cupric chloride to work, simply because they run their solutions too
> damn week. I have done a side by side comparison with fresh full
> strength ferric chloride (sp.gr 1.47), under exact same conditions and
> the cupric chloride (without any H2O2, ever) is only fractionally
slower
> (7.5 minutes for FeCl and 9 minutes for CuCl for bubble etching, 35um
> thick copper at 15°C).
>
> Adam
>
> Phil wrote:
> > I may not have all the specifics right - it was about 6 months ago but
> > I did add 50 mL of 30% HCl and then aerated. It stayed a dull green,
> > even after a week of aerating. 50 mL of 35% H2O2 brightened it to
> > emerald green and I was able to etch a board with it. Total volume
> > was 2L + 100 mL. I'm sure I was doing something wrong but I just
> > wanted to etch boards not fiddle f∗rt around with chemicals.
> >
> > I love AP. Its clear, clean, fast, reliable and very easy to use.
> > Never had to fuss with it. It just works.
> >
> > I still have 2.1 L of mystery etchant if some one wants it... heh
heh heh
> >
> > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Adam Seychell <a_seychell@y...>
> > wrote:
> >
> >>Are you sure you added enough acid ∗before∗ aerating ? How do you
know
> >>what the acid concentration was after aerating ?
> >>
> >>I find it hard to believe it wouldn't oxidize in that time.
> >>I assume you are looking for the transparent green color to
> >
> > determine if
> >
> >>the bath regeneration was completed.
> >>
> >>Adam
> >>
> >>Phil wrote:
> >>
> >>>I tried to use CuCl over a period of 4 months. I was never able to
> >>>regenerate it using a bubbler - even left it running for a week once.
> >>> I added more acid but no regen. However, adding H2O2 made a huge
> >>>difference. My bubbles were fairly small so I think I was getting O2
> >>>into it. I suspect there is more to it than just pumping oxygen
into
> >>>the solution.
> >>>
> >>>--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "stan4312" <stanman@t...>
wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>I'm attempting to bootstrap my first batch of CuCl as I type, so
> >>>>this page is fresh off my bookmarks:
> >>>>http://pacificsun.ca/~robert/pcb/cucl.htm Pretty good
> >>>>page on CuCl. Lots of precision chemistry.
> >>>>
> >>>>I thought he also had the following seat-of-the-pants advice: if it
> >>>>hasn't regenerated overnight, add more acid, but glancing back, I
> >>>>see it must have been from somewhere else.
> >>>>
> >>>>Stan
> >>>>
> >>>>--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "johnwhitneyfiat"
> >>>><johnwhitneyfiat@y...> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>I have been off the group for a while and I'm sure this was
> >>>>
> >>>>covered.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>In the direction for making etchant from Hydrogen Peroxide and
> >>>>
> >>>>Muratic
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>Acid, it says that you can regenerate with a bubbler. How long
> >>>>
> >>>>does
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>this take? I know it will depend on the amount and the area that
> >>>>
> >>>>was
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>etched, but is there a rule of thumb to make it work. I do have
to
> >>>>
> >>>>day
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>that I make a small bathch and it worked great on a sample board.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>John Whitney
> >>>>>Wis X 1/9
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
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> >
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
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> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files,
and Photos:
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> >
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> >
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> >