When it comes to cleaning and plating, there is one element that affects every single bath. This substance often makes up well over half of each tank, and we largely ignore it. That’s right, we're talking about water!
There are multiple types of water. These can be summarized into Hard, Soft, and Purified.
Hard water is characterized by high mineral content. Oftentimes, the minerals are calcium or magnesium. Hard water is not harmful or much of a problem in the home but causes major issues in our plating shops. Read more.
Soft water is hard water that has had much of its ‘hardness’ removed. There are several different methods for this, the most common of which replaces the Calcium and Magnesium ions with Sodium or Potassium ions. This water does not leave nearly as many deposits as hard water, nor does it interfere with saponification. Read more.
Purified water is called RO or DI water, depending on the method by which it was purified. This water contains very few ions, making it ideal in a chemical solution. Read More.
