Electroplating – Covering it Up
Electroplating is basically a process that makes use of electrical currents to coat a base metal with another type of metal. The most common metals used in electroplating are copper, silver, nickel, platinum and gold. It is common to see electroplated work in jewelry, home decorations, and cars. However, this procedure has found its way in aircrafts, spacecrafts, and even nuclear plants. Essentially, when you electroplate a base metal, you impart to that material the characteristics of the coating material you applied. For instance, if you want an ordinary piece of steel to have better protection against corrosion, you can electroplate nickel onto its surface.
The process of electroplating is mainly done using a liquid solution. This solution is referred to as electrolyte, hence the name of the process. When you electroplate, you basically wash the base material over with your desired coating material. For this reason, there are two ways to accomplish electroplating. One is by using tanks where you immerse the base material. Or two, you use a special brushing device to apply the coating onto the base material. In either case, electric current is always used. The plating solution functions as the medium for electrical conductivity. Even with the use of electric current, it must be emphasized that the whole process is safe because only a small voltage of electricity is used.
One important consideration in electroplating is attaining the right thickness of the coating applied. Well, it all depends on the amount of the coating material used and the time that the base metal has been subjected or exposed to the electrolyte. In other words, the longer you submerge the base metal onto the solution or the more brushes of electrolyte you apply on an object, the thicker the coating becomes. For instance, in gold plated objects, the thickness of the gold layer can be anywhere between .10 to 20 microns. Top of the line silverware can even go beyond 20 microns in silver thickness.
Indeed, for almost 200 years now, electroplating has been an important technique used in beautifying jewelry. But more than just the arts, the procedure is finding its place in industrial applications. Electroplating is now a standard procedure for enhancing the durability and stability of countless mechanical parts. Still, it must be emphasized that it is impractical to use this procedure to smoothen or beautify objects that have preexisting defects or tarnishes. In the end, this process is not only for surface aesthetics, but also for improved functionality of an object.
