Gunter: I want to give you a short description of plating here, so you can be sure you are asking the right question. All plating involves transferring electrons to the ion in the plating bath to cause it to become a metal, instead of an ion. There are three kinds of plating, the difference in the 3 different kinds is where the electron come from. In Electrolytic plating, the electron is supplied by a rectifier, also known as an "electron pump". In Electroless plating, the electron is supplied by a chemical in the plating bath, also known as "a reducing agent", typical being formaldehyde, or Hypophosphite. In immersion, (also know as Galvanic plating, after Mr. Galvanos, who invented it, even before Brian was born!) the electron comes the substrate being plated. The substrate metal is dissolved, and as it does, it donates electrons, which transfer to the metal being plated. In your question, do you mean immersion/galvanic plating, or electroless plating? Rudy Sedlak --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 -----------------------------------------------------