Anodic behavior of titanium in acid sulfate electrolytes for copper plating

The processes of utilization of copper-containing wastes, production of printed circuit boards, and electrolytic refining of copper require the application of corrosion-resistant materials. Titanium and its alloys are extensively used in electrolytic metallurgy [1-3] but the possibilities of their application in acid sulfate electrolytes for copper plating are investigated quite poorly. We studied VT1-0 titanium by plotting potentiodynamic curves of anodic polarization with the help of a PI-50-1.1 potentiostat with a sweep rate of 1.0 mV/sec. We used a silver-chlorine reference electrode and either a standard thermostatically controlled cell or a cell with a source of ultrasound installed on its bottom. A titanium specimen in the form of a cylindrical rod was pressed into a fluoroplastic cartridge. Prior to each test, the specimen was scraped with an M-40 fine-grained abrasive paper, degreased in acetone, washed in distilled water, and preliminarily activated by applying a cathodic current with E = - 1.0 V for 5 min in 0.5 mole/liter solution of sulfuric acid. The polarization curves were plotted within the temperature range 20-80 deg C typical of the operation and regeneration of acid sulfate electrolytes for copper plating, copper refining, and electrochemical production of copper powder. The intensification of electrochemical processes was simulated by using ultrasound with a frequency of 50 kHz and an intensity of 1 W/cm exp 3 which is close to the optimal parameters used in electrolytic metallurgy. The rates of anodic dissolution of titanium in different solutions were compared for E = + 1.0 V, i.e., for the working potential of the anode in electroplating baths filled industrial electrolytes, and converted into mm/yr.