AN ELECTROLYTIC PROCESS FOR CLEANING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING SURFACES

摘要

An electrolytic process for cleaning the surface of a workpiece of an electrically conducting material, which process comprises: i) providing an electrolytic cell with a cathode comprising the surface of the workpiece and an inert anode; ii) introducing an electrolyte into the zone created between the anode and the cathode by causing it to flow under pressure through one or more holes, channels or apertures in the anode and thereby impinge on the surface of the cathode, the surface of the cathode not otherwise being immersed in the electrolyte; and iii) applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode and operating in a regime in which the electrical current decreases or remains substantially constant with increase in the voltage applied between the anode and the cathode, and in a regime in which discrete bubbles of gas and/or vapour are present on the surface of the workpiece during treatment.