Our Rhodium Tank Plating Solution delivers very bright, white layers of rhodium electroplating and has been formulated for long life. It can be operated in both fast (40 °C) and slow mode (room temperature) – see Tech Specs.
This solution has an extra long shelf life of over 5 years.
Rhodium content: 2 grams per litre.
Orders outside UK and EU
This plating solution cannot be purchased and shipped outside the UK and the EU because it’s part of our range of plating solutions that are regulated for transport.
A suitable substitute for this product may be our Palladium Tank Plating Solution, which can be purchased and shipped outside the UK and the EU. This alternative product can be viewed by clicking on the link in the ‘Related Products’ section below this panel.
HS Code: 3824 99 70
The Rhodium Plating Solution for tank plating is specifically developed to work with our Rhodium Tank Plating Starter Kit. It will deliver very bright, white layers of rhodium to controlled thicknesses. To see a rhodium tank plating project, click HERE for our Electroplating Manual. To keep your rhodium tank plating solution replenished, please see our Rhodium Tank Replenisher HERE
Our Rhodium Tank Plating Starter Kit is a budget solution for getting started on rhodium tank plating.
Plating Solution
Features
Used for
Rhodium
Highly reflective and corrosion resistant, lustrous appearance
Hardest precious metal
Rhodium concentration: 2 gms per litre
Plating over white gold alloy (typically 75% gold with balance palladium, platinum or silver) to give a brilliant finish
With our Rhodium Tank Plating Kit, you’ll be able to rhodium plate items of silver or white gold jewellery to specific thicknesses with ease.
We’ve designed the process so that you can pre-programme in the rectifier settings before you start plating. This means that once you start plating you don’t have to adjust the equipment, leaving you free to let the plating get on with itself.
To work out the amp level, multiply the surface area of your work by the plating factor for rhodium, which is 0.02
In this case, we estimated that the surface of the ring was 4.5 cm2
The calculation is therefore 0.02 x 4.5 = 0.09 amps, so the amp setting on the large rectifier needs to be set at 0.09 amp.
1. Setting up your Rhodium Tank Plating Kit
Set up the Rhodium Tank Plating Kit as shown. Turn on the Hot Plate Stirrer and bring the temperature of the solution up to 38-42 degrees centigrade and set the stirring function to minimum.
Please be aware that our Rhodium Tank Plating Solution can only be shipped within the UK and the EU. If you want to order from outside these areas, you might consider ordering our Palladium Tank Plating Kit as palladium plates with a similar whiteness to rhodium and can be shipped anywhere in the world.
2. Connecting the Black Leads
Black leads x 2 (one short, one long) Plug the short black lead into the black socket on the Economy Plating Rectifier and then plug the other end into the black socket on the large rectifier. Take the longer black lead and ‘stack’ it by plugging one end into the back of the black lead you’ve just plugged into the large rectifier. Plug the other end into the socket at the base of the Plating Stand.
3. Connecting the Red Leads
Red leads x2 (one short, one long) Plug the short red lead into the red socket on the Economy Plating Rectifier and then fix a crocodile clip to the other end of the lead and clip it to the mesh on cleaner beaker. Plug the long red lead into the red socket on the large rectifier and clip the other end to the mesh on the rhodium beaker.
4. Pre-setting the amps. a) Adjusting the voltage on the Tank Plating Rectifier
Make sure output is off (open). Adjust volts to within a range of 3-3.4
Pre-setting the amps. b) Shorting out
Short out the circuit by attaching the red lead to the plating arm.
Pre-setting the amps. c) Turning on output
Return to the Tank Plating Rectifier and turn on the output.
Pre-setting the amps. d) Setting amp level
Adjust amps to desired level (in this case 0.09).
Pre-setting the amps. e) Turning off output.
Turn off the output.
Pre-setting the amps. f) Connecting red lead to rhodium beaker
Re-connect the red lead to the mesh electrode on the rhodium plating beaker.
Pre-setting the amps. g) Adjusting voltage cleaning
Adjust the voltage on the small rectifier for the cleaner stage to 4.5
5. Power Cleaning
Place the ring in the Cleaner and touch the jigging wire (which is holding the ring) against the crocodile clip. Almost immediately you’ll see bubbles forming, meaning that the Cleaner is getting to work. Leave your work in the Cleaner for 15-30 seconds and you will have a perfectly clean, water-break free surface which is ideal for plating. Once it is clean take it out and dip it in the first and second rinse beakers to thoroughly rinse off the Cleaner. Please see our previous project, ‘Gold Plating a Ring to Vermeil Standard’ for further information on this stage.
6. Rhodium plating
Hang your ring in the rhodium plating solution (check that the solution is at the optimum temperature) and then turn the output to on as soon as possible.
7. Final rinse stages
Once the plating time is up, turn the output on the rectifier to off and pass the ring through the last two rinse stages.
8. Finished ring
The ring needs no further finishing as our system deposits a durable layer of rhodium that can be easily maintained for many years.
Operating Parameters
Not required
Rhodium Concentration
2 g/l
Plating Factor
0.02 A/cm2
Plating Rate (PF: 0.02)
0.08 micron/min at 40 °C (fast mode – see notes)
Plating Rate (PF: 0.02)
0.04 micron/min at 20 °C (slow mode – see notes)
Recommended thickness
0.1 – 0.3 micron
Maximum thickness
0.7 micron
Lightness (L*) of deposit
72 – 80%
Voltage
1-3 volts
pH
<1.0
Anode
Mesh
Agitation
Hardness
900-950 Hv
Stress (tensile)
High (tensile)
Special storage requirements
None
Shelf life
Over 5 years
Health and Safety classification
Corrosive
Special considerations
None
Transport (UN number)
2796
Notes:
Our online calculator for Rhodium Tank Plating Solution is calibrated at the higher temperature
of 40 °C. If operating at 20 °C, you will need to double the time indicated by the calculator to
achieve the desired thickness.
Cover the solution when not in use and if not using for a long period of time, store in a closed
container.
Some items are regulated for transport and can only be delivered to destinations in the UK and countries within the EU. Alternative or substitute products are detailed in the ‘Description’ tab of this tabbed panel or under Related Items below this tabbed panel.
For all price quotations for deliveries, please add your items to our shopping cart. You will be able to see the shipping costs by clicking on the ‘Calculate shipping’ button in the cart and before checking out.
You can access our MSDS by scanning the QR code which is on our product bottles.
Here is a video to show you how;
