Electroplating of Horizontal Steel Cylinders in Unstirred Copper Sulphate Solutions

Abstract

Limiting currents were measured for the electroplating of horizontal steel cylinders in unstirred CuSO4 solutions. Variables studied were CuSO4 concentration, cylinder diameter and temperature. The limiting current was found to increase with CuSO4 concentration over the concentration range from 0.01 to 0.2 M. Cylinder diameter was found to have no effect on the limiting current within the range studied (0.8-3.8 cm diameter). The effect of temperature on the limiting current was found to obey Arrhenius equation. The activation energy for electrodeposition was found to be 15.12-32.5 kJ mol-1. Results were explained in the light of the theory of electrochemical mass transfer.