Electroplating is an electrochemical process used to coat objects with a thin layer of metal. It has various applications in industries such as jewelry making, automotive, and electronics. The process involves placing a negative charge on the object, dipping it in a saline solution of the metal, and controlling the thickness of the plating by altering the time spent in the solution. The process has evolved since its development in the early 20th century and is used for creating synthetic joints and electrolytic materials in electronics.
Anyone who has bought cheap jewelry with a thin coating of precious metal has witnessed the final result of electroplating. It is an electrochemical reaction used to put a thin metallic coating on an object. In addition to jewelry making, this process has important uses in the automotive industry for chrome plating and in the electronics industry for optics and sensors.
The process of electroplating (also known as electroplating) is quite simple. To start, a negative charge is placed on the object that will be coated. The object is then dipped in a saline solution of the metal which will serve to plate the object. From there, it’s simply a matter of attraction; the metal ions in the salt are positively charged and are attracted to the negatively charged object. Once connected, the positively charged ions revert back to their metallic form, resulting in a new electrolytic object.
Controlling the thickness of the plating is generally achieved by altering the time the object spends in the saline solution. The longer it stays inside the bath, the thicker the shell becomes. Of course, there must also be an adequate amount of metal ions in the bath to continue coating the object. The shape of the item will also have an effect on the thickness and sharp corners will be plated thicker than recessed areas. This is due to the electric current in the bathroom and the way it flows more densely around corners.
Before electroplating an item, it must be cleaned thoroughly and all blemishes and scratches must be buffed out. As mentioned, recessed areas plated less than sharp corners, so a scratch will become more prominent rather than being smoothed out by the plated material.
The process was developed in the early 20th century and continues to evolve today. Many common items such as cans are actually electroplated steel with a protective layer of tin. Medical science has also pioneered the technique of creating synthetic joints with plated coatings, and new advances in electronics have been made with electrolytic materials.
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