Ronovel CM

Technical Data Sheet
RONOVEL™ CM / AUROSPEED™ CM
Cobalt-Alloyed Electrolytic Gold
For Electronic Finishing Applications
Regional Product • North America

Availability
Description RONOVEL CM and AUROSPEED CM Cobalt-Alloyed Electrolytic Gold products utilize a

unique chelate system which prevents the oxidation of cobalt and substantially reduces the
variation in cobalt codeposition with respect to current density. They provide the user with
total flexibility of operation. Processes using these products can easily be tailored to suit
different plating heads/cells by adjustment of the operating parameters. RONOVEL CM
Cobalt-Alloyed Electrolytic Gold is designed for low- and high-speed plating applications;
e.g. reel-to-reel connector, stripe or strip, automatic printed circuit tab, deep tank circuit, and
barrel plating. RONOVEL CM Cobalt-Alloyed Electrolytic Gold should be used where a
highly-even thickness distribution across the plated part is desired.
Advantages • Wide operating current density range

• Reduced deposit porosity
• Low gold metal concentration
• Stable cobalt content over wide current density range
• Superior wear resistance
• Excellent throwing power
Deposit Properties Purity: 0.15–0.25% Cobalt, 0.15–0.20% K, 0.2–0.3% C, remainder as gold

Hardness: 130–180 Knoop
Density: 17.5 g/cm3 (depending on operating conditions)
Wear Resistance: No substrate exposed on either plaque or probe when tested in
accordance with British Telecom Specification M468A
Appearance: Bright deposits with low porosity
RONOVEL CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

Bath Make-up Chemicals Required Metric (U.S.)
AUROSPEED CM Make-up Liquid 750 ml/l (75% v/v)
RONOVEL Additive 30 ml/l (3% v/v)
AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate As required
Potassium Gold Cyanide As required
RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher 200 ml/tr. oz. gold metal as PGC
UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow
®TM Form No. PF04N099, Rev. 6
Page 1 of 12 RONOVEL™ CM/AUROSPEED™ CM Cobalt-Alloyed Electrolytic Gold / Interconnect Technologies July 2009
AUROSPEED™ CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.
Bath Make-up Chemicals Required Metric (U.S.)
AUROSPEED CM Make-up Liquid 750 ml/l (75% v/v)
AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate As required
Make-up CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

Procedure 1) Add AUROSPEED CM Make-up Liquid to a clean tank.
(General)
2) Add RONOVEL Additive if necessary. Mix thoroughly.
3) Add AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate. Mix thoroughly.
4) Dissolve Potassium Gold Cyanide separately in warm water and add to tank.
Mix thoroughly.
5) Add RONOVEL CM PGC Replenisher. Mix thoroughly.
6) Dilute to final volume with D.I. water. Mix thoroughly.
7) Check pH, specific gravity, cobalt concentration and gold concentration. Adjust,
if necessary.
RONOVEL CM Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold

Barrel Operation, RONOVEL CM—Metric
Parameter Range Recommended
Gold Concentration 1.0–6.0 g/l 2.0 g/l
Cobalt Concentration 0.35–0.8 g/l 0.5 g/l
pH 4.0–4.6 4.2
Specific Gravity 1.05–1.11 1.07
Temperature 25–50°C 35°C
Agitation Barrel, solution movement
Current Density 0.1–1.0 A/dm2
Cathode Efficiency 25 mg/ampere minute (20%)
Deposition Rate 0.067 microns/minute at 0.5 A/dm2
Barrel Operation, RONOVEL CM—U.S.

Gold Concentration 0.125–0.75 toz./gal. 0.25 toz./gal.
Cobalt Concentration 350–800 ppm 500 ppm
pH 4.0–4.6 4.2
Specific Gravity 7–13° Baumé 11° Baumé
Temperature 75–122°F 95°F
Current Density 1–10 ASF
Deposition Rate 2.67 microinches/minute at 5 ASF

®TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow Form No. PF04N099, Rev. 6
Rack Operation, RONOVEL™ CM—Metric
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Agitation Cathode, solution movement
Current Density 0.5–3 A/dm2
Rack Operation, RONOVEL CM—U.S.

pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Controlled Depth Selective Cell Operation

RONOVEL CM—Metric
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Agitation Rapid solution combined with cathode strip movement
Current Density 5–50 A/dm2
Deposition Rate 1 micron in 12 seconds at optimum conditions

RONOVEL CM—U.S.
Cobalt Concentration 350–1,000 ppm 500 ppm
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Deposition Rate 40 microinches in 12 seconds at optimum conditions

Jet Agitation Selective Cells RONOVEL™ CM—Metric
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Agitation High-speed solution jetting
Deposition Rate 1 micron in 3.8 seconds at optimum conditions
Jet Agitation Selective Cells RONOVEL CM—U.S.

pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Current Density 100–1,000 ASF
Deposition Rate 40 microinches in 3.8 seconds at optimum conditions
AUROSPEED™ CM Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold

Barrel Operation, AUROSPEED CM—Metric
pH 4.0–4.6 4.2
Barrel Operation, AUROSPEED CM—U.S.

pH 4.0–4.6 4.2

Rack Operation, AUROSPEED™ CM—Metric
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Rack Operation, AUROSPEED CM—U.S.

pH 4.0–4.5 4.2

AUROSPEED CM—Metric
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Deposition Rate 1 micron in 12 seconds at optimum conditions

AUROSPEED CM—U.S.
Cobalt Concentration 350–1,000 ppm 500 ppm
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Deposition Rate 40 microinches in 12 seconds at optimum conditions

Jet Agitation Selective Cells
AUROSPEED™ CM—Metric
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Deposition Rate 1 micron in 3.8 seconds at optimum conditions

AUROSPEED CM—U.S.
pH 4.0–4.5 4.2
Current Density 100–1,000 ASF
Deposition Rate 40 microinches in 3.8 seconds at optimum conditions
Bath Maintenance CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

Potassium Gold Cyanide
For the process using RONOVEL™ CM Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold, gold metal is replenished
by additions of Potassium Gold Cyanide. Replenishment is carried out on the basis of
analysis or on ampere minute schedule confirmed by analysis. Add 1.0 troy ounce of gold
metal every 880–1,275 ampere minutes dependent on cathode efficiency.
Potassium Gold Cyanide

For the process using AUROSPEED CM Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold, gold metal is replenished
by additions of Potassium Gold Cyanide. Replenishment is carried out on the basis of
analysis or on ampere minute schedule confirmed by analysis. Add 1.0 troy ounce of gold
metal every 880–1,275 ampere minutes dependent on cathode efficiency.
AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate

AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate contains 25.0 g/l cobalt metal. It is primarily used for
make-up but can be used when increases in cobalt concentration are necessary. A 1 ml/l
addition of AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate will raise the cobalt concentration by 0.025 g/l
(25 ppm).

Bath Maintenance RONOVEL™ Additive
(continued) RONOVEL Additive is the key additive in the process using RONOVEL CM Cobalt-Alloyed
Electrolytic Gold. With a given gold concentration, pH and temperature, the RONOVEL
Additive produces a selective drop in current density at the high current density areas which
helps provide an even thickness distribution across the plated part. As a result, no burning is
experienced during proper operation. Additions of RONOVEL Additive may only be
necessary when:
• Excessive dragout is experienced

• After heavy carbon treatments
• Long periods of time without using RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher
RONOVEL Additive can be analyzed by UV spectrophotometry or by the Dow Electronic

Materials laboratory.
RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher
Under normal conditions, cobalt metal and all additives are replenished by additions of
RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher. For every troy ounce of gold metal replenished, add
200 ml of RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher.
pH
pH should be measured daily and maintained in the recommended range by additions
of AUROSPEED™ Acid Salt or potassium hydroxide. At a given gold concentration,
decreasing the solution pH will increase the effect of RONOVEL Additive in the working
solution causing a selective decrease in cathode efficiency at high current density.
Increasing the pH will have the opposite effect.
5.0 g/l AUROSPEED Acid Salt will lower pH by 0.1 units.
5.0 g/l potassium hydroxide will raise pH by 0.1 units.
Specific Gravity
Specific gravity should be measured daily and maintained in the recommended range by
additions of RONOVEL CM Conductivity Salt.
16.0 g/l RONOVEL CM Conductivity Salt will raise the specific gravity by 0.01 SG
(1° Baume).
Effects of Metallic Impurities

Maximum Concentration Effect
Lead 10 ppm Low current density dullness
Copper 100 ppm Reduced cathode efficiency/low current density dullness
Iron 200 ppm Reduced cathode efficiency/low purity deposits
Zinc 200 ppm Reduced cathode efficiency/low purity deposits

Effects of Varying Solution Parameters
Color Current Density Range % Cobalt in Deposit Cathode Efficiency
Gold Concentration Increase Richer Higher Lower Higher
Decrease Paler Lower Higher Lower
Cobalt Concentration Increase Paler Wider Higher Lower
Decrease Richer Narrower Lower Higher
pH Increase Richer Narrower Lower Higher
Decrease Paler Wider Higher Lower
Temperature Increase Richer Higher Lower Higher
Cobalt Chelate Cobalt Ratio Increase Richer Higher Lower Higher
Strike Process for Low-Efficiency Gold Strike Process

RONOVEL™ CM A low efficiency gold strike process designed to produce an initial thin highly-adherent gold
and AUROSPEED™ electrodeposit on the components to be plated with RONOVEL CM or AUROSPEED CM
CM Electrolytic Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold products.
Cobalt-Gold

Strike Bath Chemicals Required Metric (U.S.)
Make-up AUROSPEED CM Make-up Liquid 500 ml/l (50% v/v)
AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate 10 ml/l (1% v/v)
AUROSPEED CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

RONOVEL Additive — —
AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate 10 ml/l (1% v/v)

Procedure 1) Add AUROSPEED CM Make-up Liquid to clean tank.
2) Add RONOVEL Additive if necessary. Mix thoroughly.
4) Dissolve Potassium Gold Cyanide separately in warm water and add to tank. Mix
thoroughly.
5) Add RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher. Mix thoroughly.
6) Adjust to final volume with D.I. water.
7) Check pH and specific gravity. Adjust if necessary.

Bath Operation
RONOVEL™ CM / AUROSPEED™ CM Strike—Metric
pH 3.8–4.2 4.0
Agitation Rapid solution and mechanical
Cathode Efficiency 30–40 mg/ampere minute
Bath Operation
RONOVEL CM / AUROSPEED CM Strike—U.S.
pH 3.8–4.2 4.0
Cathode Efficiency 25–35%
Deposition Rate 1.5 microinches/minute at 2 A/ft2
Pure Gold Strike Low-Efficiency Gold Strike Process

Process for A low-efficiency gold strike process designed to produce an initial thick, highly-adherent gold
RONOVEL CM and electrodeposit on the components to be plated with RONOVEL CM or AUROSPEED CM
AUROSPEED CM Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold. To be used where a pure 24 kt underplate is desired or specified.
Electrolytic
Cobalt-Gold

AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate 5 ml/l (0.5% v/v)

AUROSPEED CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.
RONOVEL Additive — —
AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate 5 ml/l (0.5% v/v)

Procedure 1) Add AUROSPEED™ CM Make-up Liquid to clean tank.
2) Add RONOVEL™ Additive if necessary. Mix thoroughly.
4) Dissolve Potassium Gold Cyanide separately in warm water and add to tank. Mix
thoroughly.
5) Add RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher. Mix thoroughly.
6) Adjust to final volume with D.I. water.
7) Check pH and specific gravity. Adjust if necessary.
Bath Operation RONOVEL CM / AUROSPEED CM Pure Gold Strike—Metric

Gold Concentration 1.0–6.0 g/l Dependent on mode of operation
pH 3.8–4.2 4.0
Cathode Efficiency 30–50 mg/ampere minute
0.0125 microns/second at 5.0 A/dm2
Bath Operation RONOVEL CM / AUROSPEED CM Pure Gold Strike—U.S.

Gold Concentration 0.125–0.75 toz./gal. Dependent on mode of operation
pH 3.8–4.2 4.0
Cathode Efficiency 25–35%
Deposition Rate 2.0 microinches/minute at 2 A/ft2
0.5 microninches/second at 50 A/ft2

Bath Maintenance CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.
Gold Metal
Gold metal is replenished by addition of Potassium Gold Cyanide. Replenishment is carried
out on the basis of analysis or on an ampere minute schedule confirmed by analysis. Add 1
troy oz. gold metal every 650–950 ampere minutes dependent on cathode efficiency.
RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher
Add 200 ml RONOVEL CM PGC-Replenisher per one troy ounce of gold metal.
Pure Gold Brightener

For every troy ounce gold metal replenished, add 38.0 ml Pure Gold Brightener.
Equipment Tanks: Polypropylene

Anodes: Platinized (titanium, tantalum or columbium)
Heaters: Silica-sheathed or PTFE coated immersion
Filtration: 0.5–5 micron filters with pump capacity for four turnovers per hour
Equipment Prior to make-up, the process tank and ancillary equipment should be thoroughly cleaned as
Preparation outlined below.
This procedure is particularly important for new equipment or equipment previously used for
other processes.
Cleaning Solution
Trisodium Phosphate 15 g/l (2 oz./gal.)
Sodium Hydroxide 15 g/l (2 oz./gal.)
Leaching Solution
Sulfuric Acid 50 ml/l (5% v/v)
Procedure 1) Thoroughly wash down tank and ancillary equipment with clean water.
2) Recirculate water through the complete system to remove water soluble materials.
3) Discard water.
4) Add cleaning solution to the tank, heat to 55–60°C (130–140°F) and recirculate through
the complete system for a minimum of 8 hours.
5) Discard cleaning solution.
6) Recirculate water through the complete system.
7) Discard rinse water.
8) Add leaching solution and recirculate the complete system.
9) Leave leaching solution in tank for a minimum of 8 hours.
10) Discard leaching solution.
11) Recirculate water through the complete system.
12) Discard rinse water.
Product Data For the specific Product Data values, please refer to the Certificate of Analysis provided with
the shipment of the product(s).

Associated AUROSPEED™ CM Make-up Liquid
Products AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate
RONOVEL™ CM PGC-Replenisher
AUROSPEED Acid Salt
RONOVEL CM Conductivity Salt
RONOVEL Additive
Pure Gold Brightener
Handling Before using this product, consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)/Safety Data
Precautions Sheet (SDS) for details on product hazards, recommended handling precautions and
product storage.
WARNING! DO NOT ACIDIFY this product or working bath containing this product below
specified operating pH range, or below pH 7 if no range is specified. Acidification may
release highly toxic cyanide gas, which can be fatal if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed
through the skin.
CAUTION! Keep combustible and/or flammable products and their vapors away from heat,
sparks, flames and other sources of ignition including static discharge. Processing or
operating at temperatures near or above product flashpoint may pose a fire hazard. Use
appropriate grounding and bonding techniques to manage static discharge hazards.
CAUTION! Failure to maintain proper volume level when using immersion heaters can
expose tank and solution to excessive heat resulting in a possible combustion hazard,
particularly when plastic tanks are used.
Storage Store products in tightly closed original containers at temperatures recommended on the
product label.
Disposal Dispose in accordance with all local, state (provincial) and federal regulations. Empty
Considerations containers may contain hazardous residues. This material and its container must be
disposed in a safe and legal manner.
It is the user's responsibility to verify that treatment and disposal procedures comply with
local, state (provincial) and federal regulations. Contact your Dow Electronic Materials
Technical Representative for more information.
Contact: For Industrial Use Only. This information is based on our experience and is, to the best of our knowledge, true and accurate.
North America: 1.800.832.6200 However, since conditions for use and handling of products are beyond our control, we make no guarantee or warranty,
Japan: +81.3.5213.2910 expressed or implied, regarding the information, the use, handling, storage or possession of the products, or the applications of
Asia: +852.2680.6888 any process described herein or the results sought to be obtained. Nothing herein shall be construed as a recommendation to
Europe: +41.41.259.4444 use any product in violation of any patent rights.
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Technical Data Sheet

Regional Product • North America

Description RONOVEL CM and AUROSPEED CM Cobalt-Alloyed Electrolytic Gold products utilize a

Advantages • Wide operating current density range

Deposit Properties Purity: 0.15–0.25% Cobalt, 0.15–0.20% K, 0.2–0.3% C, remainder as gold

RONOVEL CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Make-up CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

RONOVEL CM Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold

Barrel Operation, RONOVEL CM—U.S.

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Rack Operation, RONOVEL CM—U.S.

Controlled Depth Selective Cell Operation

Controlled Depth Selective Cell Operation

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Jet Agitation Selective Cells RONOVEL CM—U.S.

AUROSPEED™ CM Electrolytic Cobalt-Gold

Barrel Operation, AUROSPEED CM—U.S.

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Rack Operation, AUROSPEED CM—U.S.

Controlled Depth Selective Cell Operation

Controlled Depth Selective Cell Operation

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Controlled Depth Selective Cell Operation

Bath Maintenance CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

Potassium Gold Cyanide

AUROSPEED Cobalt Concentrate

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

• Excessive dragout is experienced

RONOVEL Additive can be analyzed by UV spectrophotometry or by the Dow Electronic

Effects of Metallic Impurities

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Strike Process for Low-Efficiency Gold Strike Process

RONOVEL CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

AUROSPEED CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

Make-up CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Pure Gold Strike Low-Efficiency Gold Strike Process

RONOVEL CM CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Make-up CAUTION! Hazardous cyanide-containing chemical.

Bath Operation RONOVEL CM / AUROSPEED CM Pure Gold Strike—Metric

Bath Operation RONOVEL CM / AUROSPEED CM Pure Gold Strike—U.S.

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

Pure Gold Brightener

Equipment Tanks: Polypropylene

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

UNRESTRICTED – May be shared with anyone

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