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Electroplating is a process by which a Metal ( or Metals ) is deposited, usually as a Relatively thin coating , upon the surface of an article which is itself made of different Metal.
Following are the three main purpose for which Electro-deposits may be used (1):PRESERVATION To provide a protection against corrosion. e.g. Zinc, Cadmium or Nickel deposits on Steel (2):DECORATIVE To provide a perticular surface appearance. e.g. Brass plating on bright Nickel plated Steel (3):MECHANICAL REASONS To Provide Wear Resistance. e.g. Hard Chromium deposite on bearing surface.

Choice of tank Material

The process is carried out in a tank made of Iron or Concrete or soap stone or Stone ware or cement or wood. The choice of the tank maerial is governed by the three factors. Resistance to attack by solution concerned. Mechanical strength. Cost including investment and unkeep. The process consist in suspending the work piece to be plated In a solution of chemical salt of the Metal to be deposited and passing a current through the solution between the work piece (made a cathode) and solid pieces of the Metal to be deposited (Called the anodes) suspended in the solution a short distance from the work.

Condition of Electrolyte
The electrolyte usually is a soluble salt of the Metal and must fulfill the following conditions. (1)SOLUBILITY: it should be highly soluble. (2)CONDUCTIVITY: it should be good conductor. (3)STABILITY: it should be stable towards hydrolysis, oxidation and reduction. (4)COST: it should be cheap (5)COVERING POWER AND THROWING POWER: it should possess good covering power and throwing power. (6)UNIFORM ANODIC CORROSION: In certain cases anode becomes passive after sometimes This is specially so in the case of Nickel baths, when pure Nickel is used as anode. In such case uniform anodic corrosion is not possible. This make the process uncontrollable in case of Nickel plating, Nickel Chloride is added to overcome passivity. (7)DRAGOUT: when the plated article is lifted from the solution, Some solution stick to the cathode which is lost during washing and cleaning. The loss of solution so taking place is known as dragout losses. The solution be such that dragout losses should be minimum particularly in case of precious Metal solution.

ELECTROPLATING OF SILVER
Silver can be plated from a variety of baths. The Cynide type of bath is widely used. The basic constituents of this bath are Silver, Sodium or Potassium Carbonate. Most Silver plating is done by using two baths in Succesion. The first bath is called the strike solution. It has low concentration of Silver and has high Cynide content. Two types of strike bath may be used.

The composition of the strike bath and operating conditions are given in Table-1
Constituent present And operating condition Potassium Cynide Potassium Cynide free Silver Cynide Potassium Carbonate Silver Temperature Current density Anode Voltage

Bath 1 Low Metal

42 gm/litre 41 gm/litre 0.9 gm/litre 28 gm/litre 01 gm/litre 25 C 320 A/sq.m Fe < 06 Volt

Bath 2 High Metal

14 gm/litre 05 gm/litre 28 gm/litre 05 gm/litre 25 C 43 A/sq.m Fe < 06 Volt

STRIKES
Initially, a special plating deposit called a strike may be used to form a very thin ( typically less then 0.5 mil thick) plating with high quality and good adherence to the substrate. This serves as a foundation for subsequent plating processes. A strike uses a high current density and a bath with a low ion concentration. The process is slow, so more efficient plating processes are used once the desired strike thickness is obtained.
The striking method is also used in combination with the plating of different Metals. If it is desirable to plate one type of deposit onto a Metal to improve corrosion resistance but this metal has inherentlypoor adhesion to the substrate, a strike can be first deposited that is compatible with both. One example of this situation is the poor adhesion of electrolytic Nickel on Zinc alloys, in which case a Copper strike is used, which has good adherence to both.

 The composition and operating conditions of the Silver plating baths are Given in table-2
Constituents and Operating conditions Sodium Cynide ( g/l ) Bath 1 Low Metal 16 Bath 2 High Metal Bath 3 Cynide Nitrates 35 - 42

Potassium Cynide ( g/l )

Potassium Cynide free ( g/l ) Silver Cynide ( g/l ) Potassium Carbonate ( g/l ) Silver ( g/l ) Carbonate Disulphide ( g/l ) Temperature (C) Current Density (A/sq.m) Anode Cathode efficiecy

56
40 34 42 37 0.0007 25 35C 0.54-16.40 Ag 100%

105
57 98 14 - 100 110 44-55C 6.45-16.40 Ag 100%

21 42 24 - 48 0.0007 27-55C 0.54-16.10 Ag 100%

PRECAUTIONS
1. Anodes
used for Silver plating should be the purest not less than 997.4 fine otherwise impurities may cause black Anodes i.e. covering of Anode by a blackish scum. This interferes with corrosion of Anode and composition of Anode, causing rough deposits.

2.Care should
3.Proper

be taken not to contaminate solution with Chloride.

attention should be paid to minimize dragout losses and enough Anodes should be used. If these two conditions are fulfilled Silver content of the bath will be maintained automatically.

4.If it is necessary to add Silver it is adde in the form of Silver Cynide. 5.The Cynide content gradually decreases and should be replenished. 6.It is better to add small quantities of brightner often, then to add large
at one time.

quantities

7.Impurities and dirt should be ke pt 8.The Carbonate content of the bath

out of the solution.

increases gradually. The excess should be removed by either adding Gypsum and filtering or by lowering the Temperature to very low values to precipitate the Sodium Carbonate.

PROPERTIES OF DEPOSITS
Silver deposits from Cynide solutions have a milky or trosted appearance. Buffering is required to obtain bright surfaces small amount of Carbon Disulphide added acts as a brightening agent. It has been seen that addition of 1 gm of Sodium thiosulphate and 10 cc of Ammonia per litre is more effective in producing bright white Silver deposit. FOR COATING STEEL BEARINGS For plating Steel bearings, by using higher Temperature greater agitation, special racking, more concentrated solution and additions of Potassium by hydroride higher current densities can be permitted, thus good heavy deposits can be obtained expeditiously. FOLLOWING ARE STEPS FOLLOWED IN PLATING BEARINGS: 1.After decreasing it is anodically cleaned in a hot alkaline solution. 2.It is then dipped in hot Hydrochloric Acid solution. 3.After dipping the base is anodically etched in 50% H2SO4. 4.The prepared surface is given Nickel strike. 5.The Nickel strike is then followed by two silver strikes. 6.Silver is then plated using plating solution no.2 7.The coated Metal is then annealed at 482 to 537C for an hour. 8.Then thin coatings of Lead and Indium are applied to the plated surface and the parts are heated to 160C to obtain an alloyed surface.

REFERENCES
1. Internet 2. Electrometallurgy & Corrosion By :