Niobium, Help Please.

[Dennis]

I am putting in hand an experiment in low tech brush and sponge anodising of niobium using batteries and hope to post the result in a month or so.
I have gathered information from Reactive Metals, Ganoskin and The Angry Mandrel and have obtained some niobium sheet, minigrabbers and the thesis from Reactive Metals. Does anyone have something to add, maybe Geti or Peter? I am particularly interested in what kind of shop would stock TSP (not online), a rubber solution for insulating the ferrules of paint brushes,amd what adhesive tape would give the best resitst.

[MuranoSilver]

These guys sell specialist versions but a vinyl chemically resistant tape should do
High Temp Masking Tape, Crepe Paper, Polyester Green, Kapton (http://www.abmultimask.co.uk/tape.htm)
Nicx

[ps_bond]

As far as I recall, I bought some TSP from Rose Chemicals - but they're online, sorry. A dilute phosphoric acid solution works as an electrolyte though; I understand some people like to drink it. The sugar in Coke doesn't seem to upset the reaction either. As for insulating the ferrules, I'd probably use heat-shrink tubing; I can cheerfully spare you some if you need.

I've seen a suggestion somewhere that dilute safety pickle works too, but I can't find a reference.

What are you using for a power supply?

[Dennis]

Thank you, Peter, for your various suggestions and kind offer. I have a nearby Maplins and am gradually collecteng bits and bobs to make a tidy unit. Reactive metals say you can use Sparex, but the original thesis, which they have sent, prefers TSP, so I shall go for that. I shall use batteries in series to start with, until I know whether the result is worth having. My Idea is to set randomly coluored pieces in silver. Kind Regards Dennis.

[Dennis]

These guys sell specialist versions but a vinyl chemically resistant tape should do
High Temp Masking Tape, Crepe Paper, Polyester Green, Kapton (http://www.abmultimask.co.uk/tape.htm)
Nicx

Thank you Nic, I've bookmarked that page, but shall wait until I see the results, if any, from sponge or brush anodising. That sort of special tape from Reactive metals is $50, plus freight, plus UK charges. Kind regards Dennis.

[Lisa Quinn]

Sorry I can't help Dennis, I buy my TSP on Ebay and haven't been able to find it in a local shop x

[Nyc]

If you're after 'proof of process' rather than consistent results there are some easier ways of going about this...
Don't bother with coating the ferrules, you're only going to be using a few volts DC so just attach your wire and go. For a resist just 'water down' some pitch with petrol to a treacle like consistency and paint on, or use a pen from Maplins that they use for masking PCB.

Voila!

[Dennis]

Thank you Nyc, all this advice is being noted, and Im gathering stuff to get going. Actually you start with120V DC and if you get that across your heart, you might well find yourself sitting on a cloud playing a harp. The advice is always to wear rubber gloves or, as the supply is not earthed, to keep one hand permanently in your pocket. The main retailers, Reactive Metals, are in fact going to produce various insulated gadgets for brush and sponge anodizing. I feel that this subject is creeping up on us rather like PMC did 12 or 13 years ago.
Thanks for your contribution, Dennis.