Rapid Determination of Gold during Plating Operations by Portable X-Ray Fluorescence

We present the analysis of gold in plating solutions in the presence of several additive ions by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) revealing an optimum potassium gold cyanide concentration of 2 - 3 g/L for maximum cathode efficiency. Additionally, we present the utility of XRF to determine the thickness of gold plated on copper substrates up to 6 microns.