S.B.O.
A GLOBAL SCHOOL
ANNA NAGAR WEST EXTENSION, CHENNAI –600
101
PROJECT REPORT
2025-2026
NAME : [Link]
STANDARD : XII - “A”
REGISTER NO. :
TITLE OF THE PROJECT : Electroplating
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
Certified to be Bonafide project work done by
________________of Std _______in the Chemistry
laboratory of SBOA Global School, Chennai-600101
during the year 2025-2026
Date: Teacher-in-charge
Submitted for the Senior School Certificate
Examination held in the year 2025 – 2026 at
SBOA Global School, Chennai – 600 101.
Internal Examiner ExternalExaminer
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone
who contributed to the successful completion
of my chemistry project. I am particularly
grateful to my chemistry teacher, Mrs. Ruby,
for their guidance throughout the project. The
completion of this project on the topic of
electroplating was made possible through the
collaboration and support of various
individuals.
• I sincerely thank our school principal, Mrs.
Sreekala Karunakaran, for allowing me to use
the well equipped chemistry lab and
providing all the necessary facilities.
• I am thankful to my parents for their
unwavering support and guidance throughout
the course of this project. This
encouragement has been the driving force
behind the successful completion of this
project.
ELECTROPLATING
• Electroplating is the process of plating one metal onto
another by hydrolysis, most commonly for decorative
purposes or to prevent corrosion of a metal. There are
also specific types of electroplating such as copper
plating, silver plating, and chromium plating.
Electroplating allows manufactures to use inexpensive
metals such as steel or zinc for the majority of the
product and then apply different metals on the outside
to account for appearance, protection, and other
properties desired for appearance, protection, and
other properties desired for the product. The surface
can be a metal or even plastic.
INTRODUCTION
Sometimes finishes are solely decorative such as
the products we use indoors or in a dry
environment where they are unlikely to suffer
from corrosion. These types of products normally
have a thin layer of gold, or silver applied so that
it has an attractive appeal to the consumer.
Electroplating is widely used in industries such as
automobile, airplanes, electronics, jewelry and
toys. The overall process of electroplating uses as
an electrolytic cell, which consists of putting a
negative charge on the metal and dipping into a
solution that contains metal salt (Electrolytes)
which contain positively charged metal ions.
ELECTROLYSIS
Electrolysis is a fundamental process in electroplating. It
involves the use of an electroplating cell, where electric
current is passed through an electrolytic solution. This results
in the migration of metal ions from the electrolyte to the
surface of the object, leading to the formation of a metal
layer through reduction reactions.
APPLICATION OF ELECTROLYSIS
Determination of equivalent weight of
substances.
Metallurgy of alkali and alkaline earth metals.
Purification of metals
Manufacture of pure gases
Manufacture of compounds like sodium
hydroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium
chlorate etc.
Electroplating for corrosion resistance,
ornaments etc.
THE PURPOSES OF
ELECROPLATING:
Aesthetics
Commercial applications
To prevent corrosion
Conduction of electricity
Reduce friction
To protect from radiation
ELECTROPLATING USED IN AESTHETICS
Valuable metals that are rare and expensive as
gold and silver are very common examples of this
application.
Electroplating is used in aesthetics to give objects
a shiny, decorative finish, improve colour and
smoothness, enhance appearance, and make
jewellery, ornaments, and household items look
more attractive and premium.
ELECTROPLATING USED IN
COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
Electroplating is commercially used to protect
metals from corrosion, improve wear
resistance, enhance appearance, create
decorative finishes, manufacture electronic
components, coat machinery parts, and
extend overall product performance and
reliability.
ELECTROPLATING HEPLS TO PROTECT
FROM RADIATION
radiation by adding dense metal coatings like nickel or
gold, which absorb or reflect radiation, improving
shielding, enhancing durability, and increasing safety of
sensitive components.
ELECTROPLATING IS USED TO REDUCE
FRICTION
Apart from these uses, By adding a smooth,
low-friction metal coating, it helps moving
parts glide easily, reduces wear, and improves
the overall efficiency of machines.
USES OF ELECTROPLATING TO PREVENT
CORROSION
To prevent corrosion, it forms a protective
metal layer that shields the base material
from moisture, chemicals, and air. This
coating slows rusting, increases durability,
and helps objects like tools, appliances, and
machinery last longer even in harsh
environments.
ELECROPLATING HELPS IN CONDUCTION OF
ELECTRICITY
It enhances electrical conduction by coating
components with highly conductive metals.
This helps reduce resistance, improves signal
flow, and ensures reliable performance in
integrated circuits, where even small drops in
conductivity can affect speed, accuracy, and
overall functioning of electronic devices.
HOW ELECTROPLATING WORKS
The cathode would be the piece to be plated and
the anode would be wither a sacrificial anode or
an inert anode, normally either platinum or
carbon (Graphite form). Sometimes plating occurs
on racks or barrels for efficiency while plating
many products. Please refer to electrolysis for
more information. In the figure below, the Ag⁺
Ions are being drawn to the surface of the spoon
and it eventually becomes plated. The process is
undergone using silver as the anode, and a screw
as the cathode. The electrons are transferred
from the anode to the cathode and is underwent
in a solution containing silver.
FIGURE: ELECTROPLATING SILVER INTO A
SPOON.
HISTORY OF ELECTROPLATING
The discovery of electroplating began in
the early 1800s when Luigi Brugnatelli,
working with Alessandro Volta’s newly
invented electric cell, found that an
electric current could deposit a thin layer
of gold onto another metal. This discovery
marked the first true electroplating
experiment. Brugnatelli even attempted
to use his method to produce gold-plated
items for Napoleon Bonaparte, but the
French Academy of Sciences prevented
him from publishing further work.
Progress resumed in the mid-19th century
when British scientists discovered that
cyanide-based metal solutions made gold
and silver plating far more reliable and
efficient. This breakthrough transformed
electroplating into a practical industrial
process, eventually becoming widely used
in jewellery, coins, electronics, and many
manufactured products.
CHOOSING THE ELECTROLYTES
The electrolyte used in the process is
determined by how effectively it can release
metal ions and carry electric current without
breaking down. For a smooth and uniform
coating, the solution must remain chemically
stable, free of impurities, and compatible with
both the metal being applied and the object
being coated. Factors like temperature,
concentration, and deposition rate also
influence which electrolyte works best,
ensuring the final layer is strong, shiny, and
resistant to damage.
PREPARING THE SURFACE
Preparing the surface is a crucial step because
it ensures proper bonding between the base
material and the metal layer. The process
usually begins with cleaning to remove dirt,
grease, and old coatings, followed by
polishing to create a smooth surface.
Chemical treatments or mild acids are often
used to eliminate oxide layers that prevent
strong adhesion. If the surface is not prepared
correctly, several problems can occur, such as
poor bonding, uneven deposition, peeling, or
weak spots in the final coating. Proper
preparation helps the new metal layer attach
firmly, improving durability, appearance, and
overall quality of the finish.
TYPES OF ELECTROPLATING
There are different processes by which people
can apply metal coatings, such as gold, silver,
nickel, chromium, copper, zinc, and tin
plating, each offering protection, improved
appearance, conductivity, or surface strength.
Mass plating
Rack plating
Continuous plating
Line plating
MASS PLATING
It’s not deal for items that are detailed as it is
not effective in preventing scratches and
entanglement. However, this process plates a
mass number of objects efficiently.
RACK PLATING
More expensive than mass plating, but
effective for either large or delicate parts.
Often has parts submerged in solutions with
“racks”.
CONTINOUS PLATING
Parts such as wires and tubes are
continuously passing through anodes at a
certain rate. This process is a bit cheaper.
LINE PLATING
Cheaper, as fewer chemicals are used and a
production line is used to plate parts.
THE PLATING METALS
Most electroplating metals can be separated
into these categories:
SACRIFICAL COATING
Sacrificial coating is primarily used for
protection. The metal used for the coating is
sacrificial, being used up, in the reaction.
Common metals include: Zinc and cadmium
(now forbidden in many countries).
DECORATIVE COATING
Decorative coating is primarily used for
appeal and attractive purposes. Common
metals include: copper, nickel, chromium, zinc
and tin.
FUNCTIONAL COATING:
Functional coating are coating done based on
necessity and functionality of the metal.
Common metals include: gold, silver,
platinum, tin, lead, ruthenium, rhodium,
palladium, osmium, and iridium.
MINOR METALS
Minor metals are normally iron, cobalt, and
indium because they are easy to plate, but
are rarely used in plating.
UNUSAL METAL COATING:
Unusual metal coating are metals that are
even more rarely used for plating than the
minor metals. These include: As, Sb, Bi, Mn,
Re, Zr, Ti, Hf, V, Nb, Ta,W and Mo
ALLOY COATINGS:
Alloy coatings use blended metals to protect
surfaces from corrosion and wear. A thin,
durable layer forms on objects to improve
strength and appearance. Examples include
zinc-nickel coatings on car parts, bronze
layers on sculptures, and tin-lead coatings
once used on electronics for smooth, reliable
connections.
PROJECT REPORT
AIM:
To electroplate a metal or alloy with copper
metal.
APPARATUS REQUIRED:
A 50 ml beaker, 9v battery, silver spoon, pencil
(Graphite), Thread, copper wire, Copper sulphate
solution.
PROCEDURE:
1. Take a 50 ml beaker, fill it up with copper
sulphate solution.
2. Take a pencil and sharp it until the lead
(Graphite) is seen on both the ends.
3. Take the copper wire and connect it to the
positive and negative terminals of the battery.
4. After the connection is complete, connect the
one end of the copper wire to the pencil’s lead,
and another end to the silver spoon.
5. After the circuit is completed, leave it for 2-3
hours to see the deposition of copper metal on
the silver spoon.
6. Here the copper sulphate acts as an electrolyte,
helping the copper to deposit on the silver
spoon, the pencil acts as a conductor and pass
the voltage in the circuit.
RESULT:
BIBILOGRAPHY:
Kanani,N. Electroplating:Basic
principles, processes and practice;
Elsevier Advanced Technology:
Oxford, U.K.,2004.
Lowenheim, Fredrick Adolph.
Modern Electroplating. 3rd ed. New
York, N.Y.:[Link] and Sons, 1974
Blum, William, and George B.
Hogaboom. Principles of
Electroplating and Electroforming
(Electrotyping). 3rd ed . New N.Y.:Mc
McGraw-Hill book Company inc,
1949.
Petrucci, Ralph H., Harwood,
William S., Herring, F.G., and
Madura Jeffrey D. General
chemistry: Principles and Modern
Applications. 9th ed. Upper saddle
river : Pearson Education Inc., 2007