Electroplating

Electroplating, process by which a metal coating is produced by the action of an electric current. The object to be plated is placed in a solution of the metal it is to be coated with. The metal's atoms are ions—that is, electrically charged. The immersed object is negatively charged by an applied electric current, and the ions of the metal are attracted, affixing themselves to the object. A variety of metals, from gold to cadmium or nickel, are used in electroplating. Most coatings are quite thin, from 0.001 to 0.002 in (0.03 to 0.05 mm).