Methods and systems for aluminum electroplating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018209057-A1
Application number	US-201615744022-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for coating a metallic component are provided. In one embodiment, a metallic coating may be disposed in a plating bath comprising AlBr3. The metallic coating may be coupled with, or configured as, a working electrode. A counter electrode formed of aluminum may be disposed within the plating bath. An electric current may be applied between the two electrodes resulting in the electrodeposition of aluminum on the metallic component. In one particular embodiment, the plating bath may include LiBr, KBr and CsBr, with AlBr 3 being present in an amount of approximately 80 percent or greater by weight. Various types of metals may be coated with aluminum using embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, the methods and systems described herein are amenable to coating of complex geometries.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a primary crucible containing a plating bath, the plating bath comprising AlBr 3 ; an electrode assembly including:
a working electrode including a metallic workpiece comprising zirconium; and
a counter electrode comprising aluminum.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plating bath further comprises LiBr, KBr, and CsBr.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the plating bath is a homogenous mixture.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the plating bath does not exhibit a eutectic melting point temperature.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the AlBr 3 is present in the plating bath in an amount of approximately 80 weight percent or greater.

6 . A system comprising:
a primary crucible containing a plating bath, the plating bath comprising AlBr 3 ; an electrode assembly including:
a working electrode including a metallic workpiece; and
a counter electrode comprising aluminum.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the plating bath further comprises LiBr, KBr, and CsBr.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plating bath is a homogenous mixture.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plating bath does not exhibit a eutectic melting point temperature.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the AlBr 3 is present in the plating bath in an amount of approximately 80 weight percent or greater.

11 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising a secondary crucible, wherein the primary crucible is disposed at least partially within an interior volume of the secondary crucible.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the primary crucible is electrically insulated from the secondary crucible.

13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising a support member disposed within the interior volume of the secondary crucible, the primary crucible being positioned on the support member.

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising a heater, the heater being located and configured to heat the plating bath contained within the primary crucible.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising a furnace well, wherein the secondary crucible is positioned within a lower interior portion of the furnace well.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a first heat baffle positioned between the lower interior portion of the furnace well and an upper interior portion of the furnace well.

17 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a chamber associated with the furnace well, wherein a second heat baffle is located between an upper portion of the furnace well and the chamber.

18 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a cooling system positioned adjacent a portion of furnace well and adjacent the second heat baffle.

19 . The system of claim 18 , further comprising a potentiostat operably coupled with the electrode assembly.

20 . The system of claim 19 , further comprising a computer operably coupled with the potentiostat.

21 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the workpiece comprises at least one of the group consisting of: a stainless steel, mild steel, tool steel, aluminum, zirconium, neodymium-iron-boron, nickel-titanium, copper and brass.

22 . A method of coating a metal component, the method comprising:
providing a plating bath comprising AlBr 3 ; coupling a metal component with a working electrode; disposing the metal component at least partially within the plating bath; disposing a counter electrode at least partially within the plating bath; depositing a coating of aluminum on a surface of the metal component including applying a voltage difference between the working electrode and a reference electrode while maintaining a current flow between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein providing a plating bath comprising AlBr 3 includes providing a plating bath that does not exhibit a eutectic melting point.

24 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein providing a plating bath comprising AlBr 3 further includes providing a plating bath comprising LiBr, KBr, and CsBr.

25 . The method according to claim 24 , further comprising configuring the plating bath to contain approximately least 80 percent by weight AlBr 3 .

26 . The method according to claim 24 , further comprising maintaining the plating bath at a temperature of approximately 325° C. to approximately 350° C.

27 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein providing the metal component includes providing a metal component comprising at least one of the group consisting of: stainless steel, mild steel, tool steel, aluminum, zirconium, neodymium-iron-boron, nickel-titanium, copper and brass

28 . The method according to claim 24 , further comprising providing the metal component with a complex surface geometry.

29 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein providing a plating bath includes:
heating a mixture of LiBr, KBr, and CsBr to a temperature of approximately 750° C. or greater to provide a ternary melt; cooling the ternary melt to a temperature of approximately 100° C. or less; adding the AlBr 3 to the ternary melt; heating the AlBr 3 and ternary melt to form a homogenous melt.

30 . The method according to claim 24 , further comprising annealing the coating of aluminum.

31 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein annealing the coating of aluminum includes heating the coating of aluminum to a temperature of approximately 600° C. or greater.

32 . A system comprising:
a primary crucible containing a plating bath, the plating bath comprising AlBr 3 ; an electrode assembly including:
a working electrode including a metallic workpiece comprising neodymium-iron-boron; and
a counter electrode comprising aluminum.

33 . A system comprising:
a primary crucible containing a plating bath, the plating bath comprising AlBr 3 ; an electrode assembly including:
a working electrode including a metallic workpiece comprising nickel-titanium; and
a counter electrode comprising aluminum.

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Tripathy Prabhat K
• Fredrickson Guy L
• Dufek Eric J
• Wurth Laura A
• Herring J Stephen

Classifications

• C25D3/66 Primary

  from melts · CPC title

• C25D17/10

  Electrodes {, e.g. composition, counter electrode} · CPC title

• C25D3/44

  Aluminium · CPC title

• C25D5/50

  by heat-treatment · CPC title

• C25D21/02

  Heating or cooling · CPC title