Determination of Gold concentration in Acid Gold and Black Gold plating bath

The analysis of gold concentration in acid gold and black gold plating baths is essential to maintain stable electrodeposition conditions and ensure consistent deposit quality. In acid gold baths, where the gold concentration typically ranges from 0.01 to 5 g/L, regular monitoring supports accurate control of deposition rate, thickness and color uniformity, reducing the risk of insufficient coverage, excessive gold consumption or deviations in the final appearance.

In black gold baths, where the gold concentration is much lower, typically from 0.001 to 0.2 g/L, precise determination is particularly important because even small concentration variations can affect shade, brilliance and deposit reproducibility. A punctual control of the bath allows operators to verify the real gold content directly during production, optimize bath corrections, minimize precious metal losses and reduce waiting times compared with external laboratory analysis.

Method

Test type: End Point.

Testing time: 3 minutes.

Analysis sessions with multiple samples are possible up to a maximum of 16 tests for CDR GalvanLab® and 3 tests for CDR GalvanLab® Junior.

Passo 1
Step 1/10
Place the test tubes containing reagent R1 in one of the incubation cells and let them warm for at least 5 minutes.
Passo 2
Step 2/10
Collect 10 µL of R2 with the pipette.
Passo 3
Step 3/10
Add 10 µL of R2 to the cuvette without touching the tip in the liquid. In case of contamination, replace the tip.
Passo 4
Step 4/10
Gently shake the cuvette 2-3 times.
Passo 5
Step 5/10
Place the cuvette in the cell marked with the blue light and press READ to perform the photometric reading that will last approximately 1 minute.
Passo 6
Step 6/10
Collect 10 µL of sample with a pipette. Use a new tip for each test to prevent contamination from previous samples.
Passo 7
Step 7/10
Carefully clean the outside of the pipette tip with blotting paper, avoiding contact between the extremity of the tip and the paper.
Passo 8
Step 8/10
Place the sample in the cuvette. Keeping the tip immersed in reagent, press and release the piston of the pipette several times.
Passo 9
Step 9/10
Gently shake the cuvette 2-3 times.
Passo 10
Step 10/10
Place the cuvette in the cell marked with the blue light and press READ to perform the photometric reading that will last approximately 2 minutes.
10%

Sample treatment

The sample can be used as is.

Principle of the test

Gold content is determined by its reaction with a chromogen that develops a purple coloration, the optical intensity of which is proportional to the concentration of Au in the analyzed sample.

Calibration curve

The calibration curve was obtained by correlating the CDR method with the reference method (MP-AES).

Gold Analysis in Gold baths: Calibration Curve of the CDR GalvanLab® instrument with the reference method.

Reagent test Kits

Code *400310: 100 test
Code *400315: 10 test
The reagents have a shelf-life of 4 months

Measuring range

AnalysesMeasuring rangeResolutionRepeatability
Acid Gold [0.01-5] g/L0.01 - 5 g/L0.010 g/L0.11 g/L
Black Gold [0.001-0.2] g/L0.001 - 0.2 g/L0.001 g/L0.004 g/L

The chemical analysis instruments for electroplating baths

CDR GalvanLab®

  • Complete analysis panel, supplied already configured
  • Up to 16 determinations simultaneously
  • Possibility of carrying out analyses of the same sample
  • Integrated printer
  • Full connections (LAN - USB - Bluetooth barcode/QR code reader)

CDR GalvanLab® Jr

  • Partial analysis panel, customisable configuration
  • Up to 3 determinations simultaneously
  • Wireless connection to external printer
  • USB connections
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