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FERRIC CHLORIDE RESISTIVE INK help? — Parallax Forums

FERRIC CHLORIDE RESISTIVE INK help?

$WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
edited 2010-12-20 04:30 in General Discussion
Hello All:
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***PCB lay-out****
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I have goggled my fingers off. I have watched way to many You Tube videos.
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I have seen some really nice boards made with ink-jet printers, Not laser-jet (toner)
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But I can't find a source for the ink used in the projects.
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I can't believe that its soy based ink that their using.
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Any info or help would be great!
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Thanks in advance for any help

Comments

  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-12-18 23:16
    Well, you've run into an inherent paradox in search engines. You need to provide an 'adequate clue' to get a good answer. Without some knowledge of the topic, a search can often fail.

    Ferric Chloride is one of many acids that are used as a copper etching solution. And what you need is an 'acid resistant ink'. The biggest body of knowledge on this topic is from the art world, where etching on copper has hundreds of years of tradition. You can find a lot of different formulas there for coatings that will prevent the ferric chloride from reaching the copper.

    But the short and pragmatic answer is to run some tests. Permanent magic markers seem to do fine, and so does laser printer toner when transferred via and iron on process. In other words, a lot of things will work - but not water soluble ink.
    Diluted oil based or latex house paint might do as well. And a spray on polymer coating, such as 'Armourall' might also do fine. Even traditional car wax or floor wax.
  • RonPRonP Posts: 384
    edited 2010-12-19 00:00
    $WMc%

    Did a google search came up with this http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcb/etch/directinkjetresist.htm I didn't read the whole page but I did see a reference to a specific ink hope it helps. I am playing with the Toner Transfer Method now.

    Ron
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-12-19 01:09
    My personal dislike of the 'toner transfer method' and all and any of the direct image methods is that it is difficult to get the image to cleanly onto the board. And you often only find out after you have etched the board. So, I create a transparency - using Eagle CAD and an old HP Inkjet printer (other brands don't seem to have an ink that sticks to transparency media). And then I use a Positive Photo Transfer to pre-coated Kingsten boards.

    Since the boards with their coating only cost me about $2USD and the chemical developer is cheap. I feel that the results are much better. And if I get a bad image transfer, I can scrub the board with iron wool, recoat it with a spray that does the same thing and start over.
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2010-12-19 09:33
    RonP wrote: »
    $WMc%

    Did a google search came up with this http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcb/etch/directinkjetresist.htm I didn't read the whole page but I did see a reference to a specific ink hope it helps. I am playing with the Toner Transfer Method now.

    Ron
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    RonP:
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    Thanks for the link. Its was the specific type of ink that I was looking for.
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    Thanks Again.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2010-12-19 23:39
    Wow!!! It is very interesting to find out that Epson printer inks will work as an acid resist AND that the printers that can print onto CDs don't need substantial modification to print of copper circuit board.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2010-12-20 04:30
    Some people on the Yahoo Homebrew PCB group have been experimenting with that technique. They claim that it's successful, but I'll stick with photo-etch; I get excellent results with it.
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