Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Pt electroplating

Quince - 10-5-2005 at 22:53

Assuming I have some Pt metal, how would I proceed to plate it onto some other metal? In my Google searching I didn't find much clear information. I'm assuming I can dissolve Pt in Aqua Regia, and then create some Pt-based electrolyte from this so I can plate it onto the W. Any suggestions?

uber luminal - 11-5-2005 at 22:43

the reason Pt is used as an 'inert' electrode is because most other things will reduce or oxidize before it does. I dont think its possible in aq. soln.

BASF - 12-5-2005 at 03:18

I once made a solution of 2 cm platinum wire (ca.200mg) in aqua regia. It is still very difficult to dissolve because at the beginning the surface of the wire is quite small.
To speed up the process i hammered it flat.

It took about two months to dissolve the 2 cm of wire though...

I believe u could use such a hexachloroplatinate-solution to platinate less noble metals such as copper, for example.

I did not try this with platinum, but i am 100% sure this can at least be made with gold,silver,mercury - so why not with Pt?
Copper coins can be used for qualitative analysis of noble metals such as silver in solution of aqua regia, as they reduce the noble metal and are plated with a fine layer of the metal. Also mercury deposits on copper, forming an amalgam.

a_bab - 12-5-2005 at 06:42

BASF, did you try to heat up the aqua regia solution to speed up the reaction? Also, using HF instead of HCl will certainly dissolve the Pt much faster.

Quince, while looking for platinum on the Internet;), did you find something about the silver plating? I'm very interested in this subject.

[Edited on 12-5-2005 by a_bab]

Esplosivo - 12-5-2005 at 06:54

Axehandle had dissolved Pt to the hexachloroplatinate IIRC by electrolysing Pt electrodes in HCl conc. He had some info on his site, but strangely enough I can't get in and cannot give you a link. He might give you some help himself. He intended to use the hexachloroplatinate soln to plate Titanium electrodes which he planned to use in a chlorate cell. Hope this helps.

Btw, what's your intended use to the Pt plated on another metal?

Quince - 12-5-2005 at 10:26

I want to plate some tungsten, for plasma in air applicatioin (the tungsten would oxidize otherwise).

I know I can buy platinum plated tungsten wire, but I need planar electrodes.

[Edited on 12-5-2005 by Quince]