BAR is benzalacetone, also written benzylideneacetone: a yellowish crystalline organic solid of single, well-defined composition rather than a blended liquid additive. That simplicity is why one material can serve two very different workshops — a zinc plating line that needs a brighter, better leveled deposit, and a synthesis plant that needs a clean aromatic ketone as a building block.
In the process of electroplating zinc from an acid bath, BAR is the brightening component. Weighed into the bath in small amounts, it governs how the zinc deposit looks and how evenly it forms across the work, which is the difference between a dull, patchy coating and a finish that can go straight into passivation.
The same crystal is used as an organic synthesis intermediate in flavor and fragrance work and in pharmaceutical production. That buyer is not judging a plating result at all: what matters there is the assay, the crystal form and how closely one batch matches the next. Set against electroplating metals, it is a completely different set of acceptance criteria for the same drum.
We supply BAR as one of the acid zinc plating chemicals in our intermediate range, in solid form and with batch documentation. It is worth saying plainly what it is not: BAR is not a non-ionic surfactant, and it is not a nickel-plating additive. It is a solid organic brightener for acid zinc systems.
BAR also sits inside a wider catalogue of advanced surface treatments — zinc, copper, nickel, tin, aluminum finishing and post-treatment chemistry — which helps when a shop would rather buy from one source than from four. It is suitable for both electroplating and electroless plating processes, particularly for aluminum and other metals.
It is supplied as a yellowish crystal solid with a solid content of at least 99.0%.
The product is designed to be eco-friendly, minimizing environmental impact while maintaining high efficiency and effectiveness.
| Chemical name | Benzalacetone (benzylideneacetone) |
| Trade name | BAR |
| CAS No. | 122-57-6 |
| Molecular formula | C10H10O |
| Molecular weight | 146.19 |
| Appearance | Yellowish crystal |
| Assay | ≥99% |
| Solid content | ≥99.0% |
| Product form | Solid crystal |
| Typical bath concentration | 50–500 mg/L in acid zinc electroplating |
| Main application | Brightener for acid zinc plating baths |
| Other application | Organic synthesis intermediate for flavor, fragrance and pharmaceutical work |
| Packaging | 20 kg per drum |
| Storage | Cool, dry place |
In an acid zinc electroplating bath, BAR is used at 50–500 mg/L. The width of that window is deliberate: rack work and barrel work, part geometry and the appearance your own customer accepts all push the right figure up or down. Start toward the lower end, add in measured steps, and stop when the finish is where you want it.
Because the addition is made by weight, a simple log — date, bath volume, quantity added, what the deposit looked like afterwards — is worth more than any rule of thumb. Records like this are how plating solutions stay predictable over months rather than days.
Treat the other acid zinc plating chemicals on the same routine. BAR normally works beside a carrier and an emulsifier rather than alone, and our OX-401 and OX-108 are the products documented to emulsify and disperse OCBA and BAR, which keeps the brightener distributed through the bath instead of sitting where it was tipped in. When the carrier, the brightener and the purifier are maintained in step the deposit stays stable; when one is neglected, the brightener usually takes the blame.
No brightener corrects a bath that is out of balance on zinc metal, pH or temperature, so check those readings first. Confirm the make-up method you plan to use — how the crystal is pre-dissolved before it enters the tank — with your sales contact, because the right procedure depends on the bath you run. We offer customized products and solutions to meet the unique needs of our clients, ensuring maximum efficiency and performance. We prioritize customer satisfaction and provide comprehensive support, from consultation through after-sales service.
Keep BAR in a cool, dry place with the drum closed between weighings. A drum left open in a humid plating shop takes up moisture at the surface, and that changes how the crystal dissolves into plating solutions when a batch is made up.
Use stock in rotation, keep the batch number on the label legible, and store the material away from strongly odorous goods if any of it is destined for flavor or fragrance use. A dedicated, labeled shelf also stops BAR being confused with a carrier or a purifier when several advanced surface treatments are kept in the same store.
When weighing out, wear a dust mask, eye protection and gloves, and work where the air moves. It is an industrial organic chemical, so the safety data sheet — not a general description — is what a safety team should work from, and it is available through your sales contact before the first drum is opened.
None of this is housekeeping for its own sake: the process of electroplating repeats only when the material going into the bath is identical every time. With over 20 years in the industry, we bring deep, hands-on expertise and knowledge to every project.
Shops electroplating metals in acid zinc usually buy BAR alongside a carrier and a purifier rather than on its own. The zinc line around it covers SZ-30B for sulfate zinc plating, ZN 50 for alkaline non-cyanide rack and barrel work, and ZN-500 for cyanide-free alkaline zinc; OCBA is the other acid zinc brightener in the range, and OX-401 and OX-108 are the emulsifiers documented to disperse both OCBA and BAR. If your line is alkaline, or you are running zinc-nickel, the brightener chemistry is different — start from ZN 50, ZN-500, or the NDE and THEED intermediates.
The rest of the acid zinc plating chemicals a shop may need on the same purchase — purifiers, water treatment agents, passivates — sit in the same catalogue. Beyond zinc it also carries FI-970 bright acid copper, Phoenix EB 204A-204B divalent tin coloring, Phoenix Seal 149-L and 149-T sealing agents for anodized aluminum, Nickel Purify P3 for nickel bath purification, FF-4219 nano protection for wood, stone and concrete, and FF-116 chrome mist inhibitor.
It works well under varying temperatures and different plating environments, giving consistent results.
OS-8 is formulated specifically for zinc electroplating applications, where it improves the adhesion and corrosion resistance of metal surfaces. It suits industries such as automotive, electronics and manufacturing, where strong, durable coatings are essential to the finished part.
A key feature of OS-8 is its ability to increase plating thickness in both electroplating and electroless plating, producing a uniform, smooth finish that lifts both the visual appeal and the performance of plated components.
Choosing the right match is where most sourcing decisions stall. As a trading supplier, we keep one point of contact from first enquiry to after-sales: tell us what you are making and the conditions you work under, and we shortlist the closest matches from our supplier network, compare specifications and arrange samples before you commit to a bulk order. If something does not behave as expected, we work with the supplying partner on the cause and a practical fix, and stay with the case until it is settled. Email, WeChat or WhatsApp enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.
BAR is benzalacetone (CAS 122-57-6), a crystalline solid supplied at ≥99%. It has two documented uses: as the brightener in acid zinc electroplating baths, and as an organic synthesis intermediate in flavor, fragrance and pharmaceutical work. In plating it is weighed into the bath and controls brightness and leveling; in synthesis it is a building block, judged on assay and consistency.
Neither. BAR is a solid organic brightener for acid zinc systems. Non-ionic surfactants and nickel-plating additives are separate product families in our range and do different jobs in the bath — a surfactant wets and stabilizes the solution, a brightener changes how the zinc deposit looks. If your process notes mention both, BAR is the brightener.
No. A brightener changes the appearance and leveling of the zinc deposit, not how much metal is laid down. Plating thickness follows current density, plating time and the zinc content of the bath — if a part measures light, the adjustment belongs to the line, not to a heavier brightener addition.
Run a Hull cell panel across the current density range you actually use, then compare it with the production parts. The panel shows where the deposit goes dull, gray or over-bright, which tells you whether the brightener, the carrier or the bath balance needs attention. Change one thing at a time and log the result — that is the fastest check in any metal plating process.
The documented use is acid zinc electroplating. Alkaline non-cyanide zinc and zinc-nickel systems run on different brightener chemistry — ZN 50 or ZN-500 for alkaline zinc, and the NDE or THEED intermediates where zinc-nickel is concerned — so the addition rates and the behavior of those plating solutions are not interchangeable. Tell us the bath you run and we will point you to the right product rather than the nearest one.
