A.I.D. Testing and Application of Aircraft Finishes

The introduction of quaternary pyridinium derivatives as brightening agents for the electrodeposition of zinc from alkaline electrolytes was one of the most significant recent advances in this field. This work describes the brightening effect of quaternary pyrindium derivatives, which have differences in structure, on the zinc deposits obtained from alkaline cyanide and alkaline non-cyanide electrolytes. Chemical changes were found to be occurring to these organic compounds when used as addition agents in these electrolytes, which could be followed using ultra violet spectroscopy. Analysis of the data has enabled the kinetics of these reactions to be deduced and this together with relevant informaton from the literature has enabled the identity of the new species to be established.