Technical Report
“Cupric Oxide DC”
Cupric Oxide DC Combines High Quality
with Resource Recycling
—Excellent purity and solubility achieved through proprietary technology—
Nihon Kagaku Sangyo Co., Ltd. (President: KADOYA Hiroki) has for many years supplied metal compounds catering to the requirements of customers mainly in the electronic components market and the chemicals industry. In the plating field in particular, our Cupric Oxide DC—used for replenishing copper ions in copper sulfate plating baths employing the insoluble anode process—is trusted by many clients in Japan and overseas due to its excellent purity and solubility. Cupric Oxide DC is used in manufacturing printed circuit boards for the latest electronic devices including automotive equipment, PCs, smartphones, and data center equipment.
These days, businesses are required not only to be capable of supplying raw materials, but also to comply with environmental regulations and be proactively engaged in ESG-focused management. We are playing our part in addressing these societal demands by taking positive action to combine stable supply of high-quality chemicals with advanced resource recycling.
【What is Cupric Oxide DC?】
As electronic devices become more sophisticated, greater density is required of printed circuit boards. In response to this need, the soluble anode process conventionally used for copper plating is increasingly being replaced by use of the insoluble anode process, which enables the plating thickness to be controlled with greater precision and uniformity.
As copper is not replenished by means of anode dissolution during this insoluble anode process, it is necessary to replenish copper ions separately. Our Cupric Oxide DC is a replenisher that combines outstanding solubility with high purity, ensuring the stability of the insoluble anode process and precise, uniform plating.
【Cupric Oxide DC offers excellent solubility and purity】
To maximize productivity and quality in the plating process, we focused on controlling the properties of cupric oxide. As a result of manufacturing cupric oxide using a proprietary method that differs from the usual calcination method, our Cupric Oxide DC dissolves at a stable rate, even in an aging plating bath. In addition, by properly controlling impurities that affect plating (such as chlorine, iron, or calcium) Cupric Oxide DC delivers optimal performance as a copper ion replenisher for copper sulfate plating.
＜Comparison of Cupric Oxide DC solubility in new and aging plating baths＞
Cupric Oxide DC dissolves at a stable rate, even in an aging plating bath.
＜Cupric Oxide DC particles (scanning electron microscope [SEM] photo)＞
As the particles are spherical, powder flowability is outstanding.
【Resource recycling model】
The key characteristic of Cupric Oxide DC is that the product itself functions as part of a resource recycling system. Over many years, we built up a track record for Cupric Oxide DC as one of our core products, refining its quality and technological foundation. In the course of doing so, we developed a recycling business model for manufacturing high-purity Cupric Oxide DC from recyclable materials containing copper such as used etching solutions (etchants) and supplying it to clients as a copper replenisher for plating baths.
This resource recycling model enables forms of environmental value such as reduced CO2 emissions and increased recycling rates to be achieved alongside productivity improvements. This is a competitive advantage unique to Nihon Kagaku Sangyo, which functions as a manufacturer of both metal compounds and surface treatment chemicals.
Furthermore, in addition to reducing environmental impact, this model offers economic benefits. One advantage is that the price of Cupric Oxide DC is affected relatively little by fluctuations in the metal market rate as it is based on the prices of recyclable materials such as recovered etchants.
Nihon Kagaku Sangyo is seeking partners interested in this business model. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you would like to learn more.
Validation by a third-party body (UL certification)
The amount of recycled material contained in Nihon Kagaku Sangyo’s Cupric Oxide DC is verified and certified according to the UL 2809-2 standard by UL Solutions Inc., an international third-party certification body in the safety science field. This enables objective validation of the product’s contribution to resource recycling and reduction of environmental impact throughout the supply chain.
In addition to manufacturing Cupric Oxide DC at our Saitama Plant, we also manufacture it at our Thai subsidiary SIAM NKS CO., LTD., and both these manufacturing sites have already obtained UL certification (UL 2809-2).
【Product characteristics】
For details of the forms of value offered by our Cupric Oxide DC, refer to the table below. The benefits provided by ease of control and the resource recycling model in particular are forms of value that other companies do not offer, and have been well received by our clients.
【A global system of supply and technical support】
As the electronic components market expands globally, companies are facing the challenges of reducing the risk of reliance on imported strategic goods and optimizing their purchasing and disposal costs. We have reflected these requirements in our product development and business model, utilizing recyclable materials to offer Cupric Oxide DC of consistently high quality.
We manufacture Cupric Oxide DC that performs exceptionally well in the Japanese market, and have made this performance and the trust earned from our clients the foundation of our business. Moreover, we introduced the same manufacturing method and system of control at our Thai subsidiary SIAM NKS, achieving an equivalent level of quality overseas as well. This will eliminate supply instability due to disasters or geopolitical risk and help to maintain a stable supply chain.
Production in Thailand makes it possible to offer stable supply with quick delivery to the Southeast Asia region. Furthermore, a manufacturing structure comprising more than one site provides a supply system that is reassuring for customers in terms of business continuity planning as well, powerfully supporting customers’ international expansion in the Southeast Asia region.
Manufacturing site in Thailand: SIAM NKS CO., LTD.
Detailed product information and technical information on Cupric Oxide DC,
can be downloaded from here.