Homebrew PCBs

I had thought about getting into annodizing, but I got too many 
things going now.  I just thought i would give it a try - much to my 
surprise the strange things happened :-)




--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> If you put some iron or steel in the CuCl it gets a copper coating.
> I dunno what happens here, i expect it is some form of electroless 
plating.
> 
> But i think in your case something different is happening, since 
the CuCl  
> copper coat on iron is thin and mostly smooth.
> 
> If you want to get the aluminum black you can anodize it and use 
black  
> color with that. Seems quite easy to set up at home, although i 
didn't  
> find enough need so far.
> 
> ST
> 
> 
> On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 15:55:54 +0200, lcdpublishing  
> <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
> 
> > Hi guys,
> >
> >
> > Perhaps one of you chemistry guys knows what happened here.  
While
> >
> > etching a board, I got to thinking about how the Ferric Chloride
> >
> > stains some metals (and wood, and other things) black.  Always 
one to
> >
> > try things, I dipped an aluminum bar in the stuff for a few 
seconds.
> >
> >
> > When I pulled it out, it had what appears to be rust scale on it 
like
> >
> > crazy!  I assume this to be bits of Copper and not rust, but I 
was
> >
> > wondering if someone could explain what happened there?  I don't 
think
> >
> > it was electrolysis - no electricty going through the mess.
> >
> >
> > Yet, somehow, the copper seemed to attract to the aluminum - it 
didn't
> >
> > stick though.  A rinse in water removed it quickly.  The 
aluminum did
> >
> > turn gray in color and not black like i had hoped - so it was a 
failed
> >
> > experiment.  But, it sure was interesting and raised a few 
questions!
> >
> >
> > Chris
>