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Zinc plating Safety
Updated: 2009 Jul 22
The chemicals involved in zinc plating are not the most inert known to mankind. You will be using acid and lye that can burn your skin and blind you in an instant. There will be fumes that are also nasty. With knowledge, care, and a few pieces of safety equipment, you can be safe. Don't want to learn safe practices? Don't want to follow safe practices? Don't want to buy the gear? Then don't do this. Here are some risks and safe practices to help mediate the risk. (source: FAQ file at the Yahoo! Electroplating news group). There are certainly additional risks that are not listed here.
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Risk: Children or other people get into your baths by accident.
Safe practice: Label all your baths and chemicals. Keep all baths and chemicals beyond access from children.
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Risk: Risk of having acid and lye violently boil up on you when you initially mix your bath up.
Safe practice: Always mix the acid, lye, and other chemicals into the water. NOT the water into the chemicals.
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Risk: Spilling or splashing the electroplating bath on your skin or eyes.
Safe practice: Wear rubber gloves, apron, goggles and a face shield.
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Risk: Inhaling fumes from your electroplating bath or your acid etching bath.
Safe practice: Have good ventilation. Either outside or have a hood to exhaust the fumes off your bath.
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Risk: Burning your fingers from overheated wires on your cathode.
Safe practice: Use the right size wire to hang your part on.
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Risk: Spilling the electroplating bath on the ground.
Safe practice: Make a spill bucket to deal with your spill should this ever happen. Include absorbent materials and acid neutralizers.
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Risk: Electricity and water.
Safe practice: You will be passing current through a liquid. Don't become part of that circuit.