Any chemists/metallurgists out there?

[Jurek]

From what I can tell ultrasonic cleaning fluids, as used by jewellers, appear to broadly fall into two groups - those with ammonia and those without.

Does anyone know what effect (if any) ammonia might have on titanium nitride plating - such as is found on drills, taps, milling cutters, oh! and bicycle chains?

TIA

[αdαmsκι]

The guy sat next to me, who's a postdoc in chemistry*, says it should be OK. My gut feeling says it should be OK, too.

___________
* Tho he does make drugs, rather than play with metals.

[Mrs Pingu]

Think I'd be more worried about the cavitation removing the plating...

[spesh]

Think I'd be more worried about the cavitation removing the plating...

I would have thought that it depends on the plating - provided that the plated item was properly prepped and cleaned* prior to plating, the plating shouldn't be affected, but as always, your mileage may vary...

* In my experience working with microelectronic hybrid circuits, most problems arise from process deviations.

[Si_Co]

I'm organics as opposed to inorganics but  the TiN / NH₃ thing will be fine, its the actual sonication that would concern me since this can be used to introduce porosity into coatings, as Mrs P says cavitation is your enemy.

Gut instinct says bad idea, but like I say it's not my speciality.

[robbo6]

I have seen warnings on large 'sonic cleaners specifically against using them on plated parts. The custom Harley chaps use them to remove plating.

[Jurek]

Thanks all for your, as is usual, valuable input.