Patent ID: 11965265
Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. A process for electro-processing a workpiece, comprising:
electro-etching said workpiece in a bath containing a first solution being an electrically neutral solution, wherein said workpiece is connected to a power supply as an anode, wherein the power supply generates an electric current,
wherein said first solution is initially devoid of ions corresponding to the workpiece as the ions are generated during the process, and said electro-etching drives the ions from said workpiece into said first solution and then electro-plating said ions back onto said workpiece in the same bath with said workpiece being connected to said power supply and acting as a cathode when a polarity of an electric current is reversed; and
a counter electrode being connected to the power supply,
wherein repeated cycles of said electro-etching and said electroplating are performed in an in-situ process where polarities are switched in rapid succession,
wherein the process uses anodic voltages and cathodic voltages where the anodic voltages are positive voltages and the cathodic voltages are negative voltages,
wherein the electro-etching is performed using said anodic voltages, and
wherein the electric current is reversed so that the electro-plating is performed using said cathodic voltages.