pH Lowering Salt for Bright Gold Solutions - (8 oz Jar)
Gold Plating Services
Our Bright Gold solutions are fabricated and sold at the ideal pH level of 4.2. Over time, with regular use and adding distilled water to replace evaporation, the pH level will begin to rise. This is normal and expected.
If you notice the pH levels are lowering, there is something else going on with your bath and we suggest sending us a 4 oz sample to test. There is a fee for this process. If interested, you can reach out to one of our tech specialists via email or phone.
We suggest purchasing a pH reader and testing regularly. We are often asked if pH strips will work, but they are not accurate enough and are not recommended.
Having too high of a pH can be problematic during the plating process. One of the issues that results from a high pH is that the gold will deposit irregularly, leaving the part with a bronzy finish or burned look. Though this is not a huge issue because it can be polished up, it can become a nuisance.
If you pH levels get too high the following options are suggested:
- Replace solution.
- Lower the voltage. This is more of a temporary fix, as the pH will continue to rise. Too high of a pH can lead to other plating issues. It is always recommended to keep bath levels at optimal levels for best plating results.
- Add pH Lowering Salt and bring bath back down to 4.2.
NOTE: These salts are not recommended for our Pure Gold solution. Contact us directly for the proper solution if needed to adjust pH in our Pure Gold bath.
How to use our pH Lowering Salt!
Add salts slowly into your Bright Gold bath in 1/2 to 1 tablespoon increments, stirring until salt is dissolved and continually monitoring the pH. Allow time for the pH reader to reassess - it can take about 1-2 minutes for the solution to fully incorporate the Lowering Salt. Add more salt if needed until a pH of 4.2 is reached.
It is very important to allow time between adding amounts of salt for the pH reader to reflect an updated reading so that the pH doesn’t get too low. If the solution gets too low you will need another product to bring it back up.