Electrochemical Treatment Methods

Abstract

An electrochemical treatment system includes a treatment fluid supply manifold, a fluid return manifold, and an electrode section connected to the treatment fluid supply manifold. A plurality of treatment fluid supply ports feed fluid through or across the electrode and a plurality of fluid return ports proximate the treatment fluid supply ports are connected to the fluid return manifold. A porous pad is coupled to the electrode section for contacting a substrate to be treated and receives the treatment fluid via the plurality of treatment fluid supply ports. The plurality of fluid return ports remove spent and excess treatment fluid and gases from the substrate, the surrounding air, and the

1 . An out of tank method for electrochemically treating a substrate, the method comprising:
 fitting an electrode with a porous pad;   positioning the porous pad to contact an out of tank substrate;   driving a treatment fluid through a treatment fluid supply manifold associated with the electrode to supply ports in the electrode and to multiple locations of the porous pad wetting said pad;   energizing said electrode;   moving the porous pad about the substrate; and   automatically driving spent and excess treatment fluid and gases through multiple suction ports in the electrode and via a return manifold associated with the electrode at a rate which limits treatment fluid leakage while urging the treatment fluid to fully disperse throughout the extent of the pad.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  in which the pad is manually moved about the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  in which the pad is robotically moved about the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  in which the treatment fluid is an electrolyte solution. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further including pumping the treatment fluid from a reservoir to the electrode supply ports. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further including pumping the spent and excess treatment fluid from the pad via the suction ports. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  in which energizing the electrode includes connecting a power supply between the electrode and the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further including balancing treatment fluid supplied to the pad and excess treatment and gases removed. 
     
     
         9 . A method of constructing an out of tank electrochemical treatment system, the method comprising:
 forming a treatment fluid supply manifold to include treatment fluid supply channels terminating in treatment fluid supply ports;   connecting the treatment fluid supply manifold to one or more treatment fluid reservoirs;   forming a return manifold to include treatment fluid return channels terminating in suction ports;   connecting the return manifold to the one or more treatment fluid reservoirs;   positioning the treatment fluid supply manifold and the return manifold in a housing; and   coupling a porous pad to the housing proximate the treatment fluid supply ports and return suction ports, the porous pad configured to contact and wet the substrate with treatment fluid which is removed from the pad along with ambient gases via the return suction ports.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further including controlling disbursement of the treatment fluid throughout the pad via the treatment fluid supply manifold and treatment fluid supply ports while preventing leakage of treatment fluid from the pad and balancing treatment fluid supplied to the porous pad with treatment fluid and ambient gas removed via the suction ports and the return manifold.