PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY II (SCH 2013)

ASSIGNMENT 3:

ELECTROPLATING
GROUP MEMBERS MATRIC NO
AHMAD HILMI BIN JAMIL 1624787
MUHAMMAD BIN PUWIRA JAYA 1621255
MUHAMMAD IDHAM BIN SHUKOR 1627575

INSTRUCTOR’S NAME: DR WAN HAZMAN BIN DANIAL

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 17 APRIL 2018

SEMESTER : 2 (2017/2018)
INTRODUCTION.

Electroplating is a process of coating a surface of conductive material like metal or a

nonconductive surface material such as plastic or wood with a piece of metal through a process

known as electrolysis. The process uses an electrolytic cell which required batteries to produced

electric current. When current is applied to the reaction, a non-spontaneous redox reaction will

take place. The cations from the thin layer of the metal will deposited to the surface of the work

piece. Electroplating is also known as electrodeposition and it is widely used in our industry such

as jewelry making, medical devices, engine bearing and electrical compartment. Electroplating is

primarily used to change the surface properties of an object including prevent corrosion or enhance

it appearance. For instance, a lot components for medical devices are made of nickel. However,

nickel is not supposed to come in direct contact with human body. Hence, a coating process on the

nickel surface with palladium or gold is applied.

Based on the history, electroplating was first invented by Italian chemist, Luigi Brugnatelli

in 1805 through using the electrodeposition process for the electroplating of gold. However, his

discovery was not noted as he was disregarded by the French Academy of Science as well as

Napolean Bonaparte. Soon after, John Wright and the Elkington cousin had discovered that

potassium cyanide was an efficient electrolyte for the electroplating method of gold and silver.

They attained a patent for electroplating and this method became widely spread throughout the

world from England.

Mechanism (or reaction) involved in the application.

Electroplating process consisting of cathode (object to be plated known as substrate) and anode

(metal used for plating) immersed in an electrolytic solution containing the metal ions. Anode will

act as the positive electrode while cathode will act as the negative electrode. When current is

applied to the solution, the metal at the anode will begin to dissolve into metal ions. For instance

the reaction between two copper electrodes in copper sulphate solution. The copper electrode at

the anode will oxidize into copper (II) ions by losing 2 electrons. At the cathode, the Cu2+ is

reduced to metallic copper by gaining two electrons. The result is the effective transfer of copper

from the anode source will cover the negative copper electrode (cathode).

An oxidation process at the positive anode:

Cu(s) ==> Cu2+ (aq) + 2e–

A reduction process at the negative anode:

Cu2+ (aq) + 2e– ==> Cu(s)

For every copper atom that gets oxidised, one copper ion is reduced, therefore, when copper

electrodes are used in the electrolysis of copper sulphate solution, the mass loss of copper from

the positive anode electrode should equal the mass of copper gained and deposited on the negative

cathode electrode.
Diagram of the application to show the mechanism involved.

How do you relate the application with the topics covered?

It is important to master the chapter of electrochemistry to perform electroplating. This is

because, one will know whether to place the object to be plated at cathode or anode. The object to

be plated needs to be placed at the cathode, instead of anode. If placed at anode, the object will

dissolve. So, the metal that’s used for plating or coating needs to be placed at the anode. By

mastering the chapter of electrochemistry, one will also know how to choose the right electrolytes

because the metal atoms that plate the object come from out of the electrolyte. For example, if one

wants to plate an object with copper, one will need an electrolyte made from a solution of a copper

salt.
 This application also can relate with the concept of Faraday law. Faraday's laws of

electrolysis relate the amount of liberated mass at an electrode to the quantity of electricity passing

through the electrode. In an electrolytic cell, metal at an electrode's surface is dissolved into an

electrolyte or deposited on an electrode by the application of electricity. Faraday's first law states

that the amount of current passed through an electrode is directly proportional to the amount of

material liberated from it. Faraday's second law states that the mass of two substances that are

liberated from electrodes, given the same applied electrical charge, is proportional to the molecular

weights of the two substances. An important industrial application of Faraday's law is

electroplating, where a material is coated with a thin metallic layer to prevent corrosion.

In 1832, Michael Faraday observed that the amount of substance undergoing oxidation or

reduction at an electrode in an electrochemical cell during electrolysis is directly proportional to

the amount of electricity that passes through the cell. This statement is known as Faraday’s Law

of Electrolysis. The quantitative unit of electricity, now called the faraday, is the amount of

electricity that reduces one gram-equivalent weight of a substance at the cathode of an

electrochemical cell and oxidizes one gram-equivalent weight of a substance at the anode. This

corresponds to the gain or loss, and therefore the passage, of Avogadro’s number of electrons. The

faraday is equivalent to 96,500 coulombs (ampere x seconds).

The equation for the reduction of copper (II) ions at the cathode is:

Cu2+ + 2e- ---> Cu

One mole of copper ions needs two moles of electrons to form one mole of copper atoms.

1 mole of ions + 2 moles of electrons ---> 1 mole of atoms

63.55 g (copper ions) + 2 faradays ---> 63.55 g (copper atoms)

From this equation we see that 63.55 grams of copper “plate out” onto the cathode for every

two faradays of electric charge. Of course, the same amount of copper would oxidize from the

anode. Faraday’s Law of Electrolysis suggests that 31.77 grams of copper plate out for 96,500

coulombs (one faraday) of electric charge.

Faraday's laws can be summarized by:

𝑄 𝑀
𝑚 = ( )( )
𝐹 𝑧

where:

 m is the mass of the substance liberated at an electrode in gms

 Q is the total electric charge passed through the substance in coulombs

 F = 96500 C mol−1 is the Faraday constant

 M is the molar mass of the substance in grams per mol

 z is the valency number of ions of the substance (electrons transferred per ion).

Note that M/z is the same as the equivalent weight of the substance altered. For Faraday's first

law, M, F, and z are constants, so that the larger the value of Q the larger m will be.
 For Faraday's second law, Q, F, and z are constants, so that the larger the value

of M/z (equivalent weight) the larger m will be. In the simple case of constant-

current electrolysis, Q=It leading to

𝐼𝑡 𝑀
𝑚 = ( )( )
𝐹 𝑧

and then to

𝐼𝑡 1
𝑛 = ( )( )
𝐹 𝑧

where:

 n is the amount of substance ("number of moles") liberated: n = m/M

 t is the total time the constant current was applied.