Palladium treatment procedure
AssigneeBell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated
InventorJoseph Yahalom
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Abstract
A process is described for treating palladium and palladium alloys so as to render them ductile and wear resistant. The process involves an electrochemical treatment which is relatively easy to carry out and is suitable for commerical use. Palladium surfaces and films treated with this process are quite suitable for a variety of applications including electrical contact applications as in switches, relays, connectors, etc.
Claims16
A process for making palladium surface and films ductile involving electrochemical oxidation in an aqueous electrochemical solution comprising the step of passing current through a cathode, said aqueous electrochemical solution and an anode characterized in that the palladium film comprises the anode and the anode is maintained at an anode electrode potential greater than the hydrogen electrode potential for one atmosphere pressure of hydrogen and the hydrogen-ion concentration of the aqueous electrochemical solution but less than the electrode potential determined by adding together first, the oxidation potential of palladium metal in the aqueous electrochemical solution and second, 20 percent of the difference between said oxidation potential of palladium and said hydrogen electrode potential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.