Matte tin plating is the finish connector, busbar and PCB makers ask for when a part has to solder well on the day it ships and still solder well months later. This bath produces it from tin methanesulfonate, methanesulfonic acid and one liquid additive — three components and one straightforward routine — with no formaldehyde, no acetaldehyde and nothing flammable in the drum.
What sets the process apart is how it behaves at speed. The deposit builds quickly at the current densities a high-throughput electronic plating line runs at, and the bath stays calm while it does: low foam, steady chemistry, no climbing suds to choke the exhaust or drag solution out with the parts.
Setting this bath into an existing metal plating process is mostly a question of matching tank volume, agitation and rectifier capacity. The working window is wide enough to cover small stamped parts and heavier sections in the same run, so a rack does not have to be split between jobs to keep the surface even.
| Tin metal (Sn²⁺) | 40–90 g/L; optimum 60 g/L |
| Methanesulfonic acid | 80–200 g/L; optimum 100 g/L |
| Additive | 40 ml/L |
| Temperature | 20–25 °C |
| Cathode current density | 10–50 A/dm² |
| Deposition rate | ≥7.5 µm/min at 15 A/dm² |
| Solution flow | Opposite to the direction of workpiece movement |
| Make-up for 100 L | 30 L tin methanesulfonate, 10 kg methanesulfonic acid, 4 L additive |
Connectors and terminals. High-volume electronic component manufacturing is where this process earns its keep. Connector pins, terminals and small stamped parts need a solderable finish at a cycle time that keeps up with the press, and the bath hands them back smooth and matte, ready for packing without a polishing step.
PCB fabrication and prototype plating. Production panels and single prototype coupons run in the same chemistry, so a result proven on the bench carries over to the line without a second trial.
Shops doing electronic plating of mixed work. Connectors, shields, small hardware and a repair job can share one bath, because the wide current window means a mixed rack does not have to be re-set for every corner and every part size.
Copper busbars, lugs and terminals. Tin plating on copper is one of the most common jobs for a matte bath. The low-foam behaviour matters here: a long, awkward copper bar lifts out of the tank without dragging a foam collar with it.
Fixtures and racking. In any electro plating process the rack is part of the system, and delicate racks are expensive to replace. A bath that leaves jigs and insulators alone saves both the hardware and the rejects that come from a contaminated tank — worth checking before the first make-up rather than after.
Aerospace and precision engineering. Where parts carry tight dimensional limits and a solderable finish, a matte layer that builds quickly and evenly is easier to keep inside tolerance than a deposit that has to be buffed afterwards.
| Brightener for SZ-30B sulfate zinc plating | Sulfate zinc bath for wire and rack work |
| Bright zinc alkaline ZN 50 | Alkaline non-cyanide zinc for rack and barrel lines |
| Brightener for cyanide-free alkaline zinc ZN-500 | Cyanide-free alkaline zinc brightening |
| Phoenix EB 204A-204B | Divalent tin salt electrolytic colouring for anodized aluminium |
| Phoenix Seal 149-L | Middle-temperature sealing after anodizing |
| Phoenix Seal 149-T | Medium-temperature nickel acetate sealing |
| FI-970 bright acid copper | Bright, levelled acid copper deposits |
| FF-4219 nano-protective | Water-based protection for wood, stone and concrete |
| Nickel Purify P3 | Impurity control in bright nickel baths |
| FF-116 chrome mist inhibitor | Mist control on chromium plating lines |
Choosing the right match is where most sourcing decisions stall. As a trading supplier, we keep one point of contact from first enquiry to after-sales: tell us what you are making and the conditions you work under, and we shortlist the closest matches from our supplier network, compare specifications and arrange samples before you commit to a bulk order. If something does not behave as expected, we work with the supplying partner on the cause and a practical fix, and stay with the case until it is settled. Email, WeChat or WhatsApp enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.
Titanium, ceramics and glass are not corroded by the solution, so they can serve as jigs, inserts or part sections and go straight into the bath. That is why the process suits assemblies where a ceramic or glass section sits next to the metal being plated — the finish goes onto the metal and the rest of the part comes out unchanged.
Yes. At 15 A/dm² the bath deposits at least 7.5 microns a minute, and the current density can be set anywhere between 10 and 50 A/dm². Thickness then depends on how long the part stays in the bath at the current density you choose, so a thin solderable layer and a heavier deposit come from the same solution. For an unusually heavy layer, plate a test part first and inspect the surface before committing a full load.
Below 30 °C, and not for extended periods above it. Heat is the one condition the datasheet calls out, so keep drums out of direct sun and away from hot plant rooms, and close the drum between additions. Note the batch number so the certificate that arrives with the delivery can be matched to the drum in use.
The additive contains no formaldehyde and no acetaldehyde and is not a flammable substance, but the bath is built on methanesulfonic acid, so treat make-up and acid additions as acid work: acid-resistant gloves, goggles or a face shield, and an apron. Rinse any splash with plenty of water straight away. The safety data sheet covering handling, storage and transport is available through your sales contact.
No — low foam is one of its design points. Foam is the usual reason an automated metal plating process loses solution: it climbs, it carries chemistry out with the parts and it shuts down a line. Here air agitation, pumps and fast part movement do not build a foam blanket, so the exhaust keeps pulling and the tank level stays where you set it.
It is a dark-silver matte, smooth and even across the part, with no brightener-driven gloss. Solderability is excellent, which is the reason to specify matte tin plating over a bright deposit for connectors and board-level parts: the surface wets cleanly and stays that way through normal handling and storage.
Yes. Tin plating on copper is routine work for a matte bath — busbars, lugs, terminals and copper-based connector parts all go through it. Copper and brass need a clean, properly activated surface before they enter the tank, so send us the pre-treatment sequence you use and we will confirm the activation steps that suit your line before the first production load.
Make-up sets the starting concentration. After that, replenishment follows the bath analysis rather than a fixed schedule, because tin metal, acid and additive are all consumed at a rate that depends on throughput and on how much solution leaves with the parts. Agree a top-up routine with our technical contact when the bath goes in, then adjust it once you see how your own line runs.
