Methods and systems for electroless plating a first metal onto a second metal in a molten salt bath, and surface pretreatments therefore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023044020-A1
Application number	US-202217962598-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 10, 2022
Priority date	Jun 14, 2021
Publication date	Feb 9, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for electroless plating a first metal onto a second metal in a molten salt bath including: a bath vessel holding a dry salt mixture including a dry salt medium and a dry salt medium of the first metal, and without the reductant therein, the dry salt mixture configured to be heated to form a molten salt bath; and the second metal is configured to be disposed in the molten salt bath and receive a pure coating of the first metal thereon by electroless plating in the molten salt bath, wherein the second metal is more electronegative than the first metal.

First claim

1 .- 9 . (canceled)

10 . A method for anionic etching a second metal without use of a reductant, the method comprising:
providing a bath vessel holding a dry salt mixture, the dry salt mixture comprising a dry salt medium and without the reductant therein; heating the dry salt mixture to form a molten salt bath; disposing a cathode in the bath vessel; disposing the second metal in the molten salt bath as an anode; and coupling a power supply to the anode and the cathode, wherein the power supply produces a current flow that causes etching of the second metal to produce an etched second metal.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising electroless plating a pure coating of a first metal onto the etched second metal in another molten salt bath comprising the dry salt medium and a dry salt medium of the first metal, and without a reductant therein, wherein the second metal is more electronegative than the first metal.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the dry salt medium comprises a dry salt medium eutectic, and the dry salt medium eutectic and the dry salt medium of the first metal are heated to melt the eutectic and form a molten salt eutectic bath for the electroless plating.

13 .- 20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Cons Nuclear Security Llc

Inventors

• Freiderich Melissa Ensor

Classifications

• C23C18/1676

  Heating of the solution · CPC title

• C23C18/1682

  Control of atmosphere · CPC title

• C25D3/12

  of nickel or cobalt · CPC title

• C23C18/32

  Coating with nickel, cobalt or mixtures thereof with phosphorus or boron (C23C18/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C18/1628

  Specific elements or parts of the apparatus · CPC title