Mike, your message is posted below as requested. Hope I got the subject line ok. For you, and anyone else having sign-off problems, Gayatri (at) [log in to unmask] can assist. Please communicate with her directly with as much "old" address info as possible so she can find and remove it. jack >>> "Barmuta, Mike" <[log in to unmask]> 05/24/99 11:36AM >>> Jack: This got bounced back because our company has changed our e mail addresses. Please post and I will try to re-subscribe and unsubscribe. thanks Mike Barmuta Kathy: Zinc plating when used as an outer or final finish is usually treated with a phosphate or chromate coating. Since zinc is an extremely active metal this helps protect it from the environment. You do not state if you are using a protective coating on the zinc plate. If you are not, you should be. If you are using one perhaps these units did not receive it. Regarding the streaking, based on some of the elements found it could be the result of hard water.Check with the plater to see what type of water purification (typically DI) they are using for the final rinse and that it is operating properly. It is also possible there is iron contamination in the zinc plating bath or the plating is thin, have it checked out. The finger prints are probably etched into the surface of the zinc. Somebody wasn't wearing their gloves while handling the chassis and the acids on their fingers etched into. Good Luck. Regards Michael Barmuta Staff Engineer Fluke Corp. Everett Wa. 425-356-6076 -----Original Message----- From: Kathy Stillings [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, May 21, 1999 9:13 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [TN] HELP - NEED INFO ON PLATING ISSUE Hi Everyone, Was wondering of I could get some input from any Guru on plating issues. Need info ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's the problem: have a zinc plated chassis with a base of stainless steel and the handle is brass plated with nickel. We have finger prints that can't be removed and a wash-like streaking across the surface of the material. This stuff "oxidizes" just sitting in a room and transportation overseas only accelerates the process. Desiccant agents don't even work. Testing found iron oxidation randomly spaced along some finger print patterns. Unsuccessful attempts were made to lift the deposits using tape. Samples were then cut for testing evaluation. SEM/EDS analysis showed trace elements of zinc, low levels of chrome, oxygen, aluminum, calcuim chloride, phosphorus, carbon, chlorine, iron, potassium, silicon, and sulfur. Higher levels of "corrosive" chlorine were found in fingerprint areas with small definitive locations of very high calcium. Initiation of the corrosion has been determined to be at the plating. Is it possible the plating vendor is using a washing agent after plating that contains the corrosives mentioned above and over time these elements are leaching out and corroding the plating? Can someone shed some light in this issue? We've been using the plating for 6 years and this is a new occurrence. ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. 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For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################ ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################