Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

First Hi to all, as you may guess I'm new to this Group. If I don't regard any rules or common behavoir suggestions please point it out.

To the question:
I have read of the CuCl process here for the first time.
I used Fe3Cl (awful) and now HCl and H2O2 for a while. I'm satisfied with H2O2 but it must be filled up every time etching.

There was a discussion about H2O2 before, mentioning half the HCl volume of H2O2 would be needed but i don't agree. Only a few drops are needed each time to get the etchant to bright green from dark brown (as with CuCl. The etchant can be filled in a bottle after use (punched cap, H2O2 gases) and reused for ever. I etch in several small plastic containers (different pcb sizes), to use as little etchant as possible (to need less H2O2). only putting it in, etchant on top works fine (small bubbles from H2O2). It's ready in a time from 10 seconds up to a few minutes (H2O2 concentration decides).

I figured this out exactly because I don't know if anyone has used it before and i want ask you for comparing it to the CuCl method.


Please specify the differences of CuCl, especially the advantages.
This would be a great help to decide if a change would be a good thing.


What i figured out 'till now:

Disadvantages:

needs Bubbler
needs long term regeneration
needs complicated analysis for concentration determination
needs big tank where a relatively big amount is stored
(needs heating to work fast)

Advantage:
Needs NO ingredients to be replaced / refilled????? (I know this is wrong but what has to be refilled, HCl???)


Thank you for any explanation.

Also i'm much interested which of the described analysis methods is actually needed (density, ph, ..) aer they ALL needed or only ONE?, I'm not a chemist, but i believe i can learn everything.

It would be very nice if one can give a quick review, I'm a bit buffled by the much different posts.

Point for point short quick guide would be nice with simplest way to do it.


kind regards

Stefan Trethan

Austria