Complexing agents > for complexing of metal ions in the electroplating industry

BTC offers under the brand names Lutron® and Trilon® a broad product range of high performance and innovative chelating agents. The essential task of chelating agents is to prevent the deleterious effects of metal ions in the industrial and private use of water. In electroplating baths foreign metal impurities are deactivated. In addition they support the throwing power of the plating bath in order to help reducing the immersion time.




Properties of chelating agents for complexing of metal ions

Chelating agents differentiate in the performance of binding capacity to form complexes and in the stability of the formed complexes. Based on amino carboxylic acid or an alkyl diamine the following organic chelating additives are available:  

  • Trilon® M grades; methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA)
  • Lutron® Q 75 grade; N,N,N’,N’-tetrakis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-ethylenediamine

Each product provides unique profile and detailed information is available on request.

Lutron® and Trilon® grades form typically 1:1 complexes. High stability of these compounds makes them ideal for many industrial processes. They show very good solubilisation property of the formed complexes.

Trilon® M grades represent the newest generation of complexing agents. Based on methylglycine diacetic acid the product provides a very good chelating performance. In addition Trilon® M grades show readily biodegradability properties. The excellent ecological and toxicological profile of Trilon® M has been verified in various repeated studies.

Applications of chelating agents for complexing of metal ions

In the electroplating industry, Trilon® and Lutron® grades are basically used to decrease metal precipitation from metal salts in treatment baths during treatment process and storage. Due to the addition of complexing agents, high metal ion concentrations in treatment bath are maintained and thus the quality of the final product is improved.

Lutron Q 75 is used in the electroplating industry as a complexing agent

  • in electroless copper plating baths at a concentration of 10 – 30 g/l;
  • in the production of printed circuit boards;
  • for plating plastics.

The complexing power of Lutron Q 75 for copper is similar to that of EDTA in the alkaline pH range (pH 12). It can be applied alone or in combination with neutralized Trilon® BS.

Trilon® M is used in electroless plating bathes for copper depositions. In addition and due to its ecofriendly profile Trilon® M is used as chelate in waste water treatment to reduce metal content significantly.