A method for depositing a zinc-nickel alloy on a substrate, including: (a) providing the substrate, (b) providing an aqueous zinc-nickel deposition bath as catholyte in a compartment, wherein the compartment includes an anode and anolyte, the anolyte being separated from catholyte by a membrane, and the catholyte includes nickel ions, complexing agent, zinc ions, (c) depositing zinc-nickel alloy onto the substrate, wherein after step (c) nickel ions have lower concentration than before step (c), (d) rinsing the zinc-nickel coated substrate in water, obtaining a rinsed zinc-nickel coated substrate and rinse water including a portion of the complexing agent and nickel ions, wherein (i) a portion of rinse water and/or a portion of catholyte is treated in a first treatment compartment to separate water from the complexing agent and the nickel ions, (ii) returning the separated complexing agent to the catholyte, and (iii) adding nickel ion to the catholyte.

A silver-plated product which has more excellent minute sliding abrasion resistance property than that of conventional silver-plated products, and a method for producing the same. The silver-plated product is produced by electroplating a base material 10 of copper or a copper alloy to form an underlying plating layer 12 of nickel or a nickel alloy, a first silver-plating layer of silver (lower silver-plating layer) 14, a zinc-plating layer 16 of zinc serving as an intermediate plating layer, and a second silver-plating layer of silver (upper silver-plating layer) 18 serving as a surface layer, in this order from the base material 10.

An electroplating system includes a tank functioning as an anode, wherein the tank is configured in a horizontal orientation having a length greater than its height, a component part disposed within the tank and functioning as a cathode, an electrical connection, coupled to the anode and cathode, for providing an electric current, and a supply line for delivering an electrolytic fluid to within the tank.

In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing an aperture plate includes depositing a releasable seed layer above a substrate, applying a first patterned photolithography mask above the releasable seed layer, the first patterned photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a desired aperture pattern, electroplating a first material above the exposed portions of the releasable seed layer and defined by the first mask, applying a second photolithography mask above the first material, the second photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a first cavity, electroplating a second material above the exposed portions of the first material and defined by the second mask, removing both masks, and etching the releasable seed layer to release the first material and the second material. The first and second material form an aperture plate for use in aerosolizing a liquid. Other aperture plates and methods of producing aperture plates are described according to other embodiments.

In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing an aperture plate includes depositing a releasable seed layer above a substrate, applying a first patterned photolithography mask above the releasable seed layer, the first patterned photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a desired aperture pattern, electroplating a first material above the exposed portions of the releasable seed layer and defined by the first mask, applying a second photolithography mask above the first material, the second photolithography mask having a negative pattern to a first cavity, electroplating a second material above the exposed portions of the first material and defined by the second mask, removing both masks, and etching the releasable seed layer to release the first material and the second material. The first and second material form an aperture plate for use in aerosolizing a liquid. Other aperture plates and methods of producing aperture plates are described according to other embodiments.

This application provides a metal foil. The metal foil may include a first metal layer and a metal base layer that are stacked up. A roughness Rz of a surface that is of the metal base layer and that is oriented toward the first metal layer is α.sub.1 μm, a roughness Rz of a surface that is of the first metal layer and that is oriented back from the metal base layer is β.sub.1 μm, α.sub.1 may be in a range of 1.8 to 2.9, and β.sub.1 may be in a range of 1 to 1.4.

A boron doped diamond electrode and its preparation method and application, the electrode is deposited with a boron or nitrogen doped diamond layer or a boron or nitrogen doped diamond layer composite layer on the surface of the electrode substrate, or after a transition layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate, a boron or nitrogen doped diamond layer or a composite layer of boron or nitrogen doped diamond layer is disposed on the surface of transition layer. The preparation method is depositing or plating a boron or nitrogen doped diamond layer on the surface of the electrode substrate, or providing a transition layer on the surface of the electrode substrate, and then depositing or plating a boron or nitrogen doped diamond layer or a composite layer of boron or nitrogen doped diamond layer on the surface of the transition layer.

Cleaning solution for cleaning and/or wetting metal surfaces, comprising at least one acid, a first surfactant, which is an alkyl-poly(ethyleneglycol-co-propyleneglycol)-ether having a cloud point of ≤25° C., a second surfactant, which is selected from the group consisting of i) an alkyl-poly(ethyleneglycol-co-propyleneglycol)-ether having a cloud point of ≥30° C., ii) an alkyl-polyethyleneglycol-ether having a cloud point of ≥45° C.
wherein the cloud points are determined according to European Standard EN 1890:2006, item 8.2 of German Version, with the modification that 10 wt % H.sub.2SO.sub.4 is used as solvent and that the concentration of the surfactant is 1000 mg/L.

Cleaning solution for cleaning and/or wetting metal surfaces, comprising at least one acid, a first surfactant, which is an alkyl-poly(ethyleneglycol-co-propyleneglycol)-ether having a cloud point of ≤25° C., a second surfactant, which is selected from the group consisting of i) an alkyl-poly(ethyleneglycol-co-propyleneglycol)-ether having a cloud point of ≥30° C., ii) an alkyl-polyethyleneglycol-ether having a cloud point of ≥45° C.
wherein the cloud points are determined according to European Standard EN 1890:2006, item 8.2 of German Version, with the modification that 10 wt % H.sub.2SO.sub.4 is used as solvent and that the concentration of the surfactant is 1000 mg/L.

A method of cleaning a conducting film containing tin oxide from an insulating surface of an item for use in electroplating applications, comprises the steps of immersing the item in a cleaning fluid and irradiating the immersed item with light of wavelength in the range 100 nm-450 nm.