Patents by Inventor Steven LEONHARD

Steven LEONHARD has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11946152
    Abstract: A method for depositing a zinc-nickel alloy on a substrate, including: (a) providing the substrate, (b) providing an aqueous zinc-nickel deposition bath as catholyte in a compartment, wherein the compartment includes an anode and anolyte, the anolyte being separated from catholyte by a membrane, and the catholyte includes nickel ions, complexing agent, zinc ions, (c) depositing zinc-nickel alloy onto the substrate, wherein after step (c) nickel ions have lower concentration than before step (c), (d) rinsing the zinc-nickel coated substrate in water, obtaining a rinsed zinc-nickel coated substrate and rinse water including a portion of the complexing agent and nickel ions, wherein (i) a portion of rinse water and/or a portion of catholyte is treated in a first treatment compartment to separate water from the complexing agent and the nickel ions, (ii) returning the separated complexing agent to the catholyte, and (iii) adding nickel ion to the catholyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Atotech Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Steven Leonhard, Thomas Freese
  • Publication number: 20220349080
    Abstract: A method for depositing a zinc-nickel alloy on a substrate, including: (a) providing the substrate, (b) providing an aqueous zinc-nickel deposition bath as catholyte in a compartment, wherein the compartment includes an anode and anolyte, the anolyte being separated from catholyte by a membrane, and the catholyte includes nickel ions, complexing agent, zinc ions, (c) depositing zinc-nickel alloy onto the substrate, wherein after step (c) nickel ions have lower concentration than before step (c), (d) rinsing the zinc-nickel coated substrate in water, obtaining a rinsed zinc-nickel coated substrate and rinse water including a portion of the complexing agent and nickel ions, wherein (i) a portion of rinse water and/or a portion of catholyte is treated in a first treatment compartment to separate water from the complexing agent and the nickel ions, (ii) returning the separated complexing agent to the catholyte, and (iii) adding nickel ion to the catholyte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Steven LEONHARD, Thomas FREESE
  • Publication number: 20220119978
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a membrane anode system for electrolytic zinc-nickel alloy deposition, a method for electrolytic deposition of a zinc-nickel alloy layer on a substrate to be treated using a membrane anode system, and the use of a membrane anode system for acid or alkaline electrolytic deposition of a zinc-nickel alloy layer on a substrate to be treated by such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Steven LEONHARD, Thomas FREESE