Teflon Etch Tank
Moderators: adafruit_support_bill, adafruit
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.
- mbodo
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:13 pm
Teflon Etch Tank
Not sure if this is the best forum group for this. Can teflon coated tanks be used for PCB etch with Ferric Chloride?
- john444
- Posts: 443
- Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 2:42 pm
Re: Teflon Etch Tank
Hi Mbodo,
The teflon will be fine in ferric-chloride.
But, you cannot count on any coating to be perfect.
Any pin-hole or other imperfection will allow the ferric-chloride to penetrate.
If the base material is any of the vast majority of metals,
you will have corrosion under the teflon coating.
Don't use a teflon coated skillet with ferric-chloride!
It will ruin the skillet and the ferric-chloride will not be usable for etching copper.
Glass, silicone, polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC are the appropriate
materials for using & storing ferric-chloride.
Photography developing / processing trays are great because they have a
pouring spout in one corner.
Otherwise, almost any plastic or glass tray will do.
Good Luck, John
The teflon will be fine in ferric-chloride.
But, you cannot count on any coating to be perfect.
Any pin-hole or other imperfection will allow the ferric-chloride to penetrate.
If the base material is any of the vast majority of metals,
you will have corrosion under the teflon coating.
Don't use a teflon coated skillet with ferric-chloride!
It will ruin the skillet and the ferric-chloride will not be usable for etching copper.
Glass, silicone, polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC are the appropriate
materials for using & storing ferric-chloride.
Photography developing / processing trays are great because they have a
pouring spout in one corner.
Otherwise, almost any plastic or glass tray will do.
Good Luck, John
- adafruit_support_mike
- Posts: 67454
- Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:51 pm
Re: Teflon Etch Tank
As a side note, Teflon has been outrageously expensive for the past couple of years.
For this application, polyethylene (low density or high density) will do everything Teflon can at a fraction of the cost.
For this application, polyethylene (low density or high density) will do everything Teflon can at a fraction of the cost.
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.