Exprimenting with ElectroPlating...

[MagnumForce]

Ok, today I decided to hook some metal discs (taken from a flywheel that was inside one of those "friction toys") to a 12v power source (DC of coarse).

I put the discs into a small container of Soda (Dr. Pepper, if you have to know).

Here is a diagram:

**broken link removed**\

Ok now I have some phizzing at the negative charged disc.

After about an hour, I pullout the negative charged disc, and it is covered in this gross rust looking substance.

So can any tell me what is going on and if this is electroplating or something else, or just something I am not doing right. lol.

I am interesting on what is happining to the negativly charged disc.

The positively charged disc is also changing but not was drastic as the negative one. The discs are made of the same metal.

Oh and if anyone else tries to do this, don't drink the soda afterwords, it would probably taste really bad, and might be poisness too. I would also think that hydrogen is produced during this process, since the soda has water in it. So if the hydrogen is seperated from the water, oxgen is produced as well.

My theory is, that if this goes on for a long time, all the water in the soda will eventually be converted into oxgen and hydrogen. What would be interesting is, that all the other stuff in the soda (like the caffine and other ingredients) will be left behind. Of coarse, the metal discs probably won't last long enough for that to happen. So I would have to put new ones in every once in awhile.

 

[Dr.EM]

I think that for electro plating to occur, you need either 2 different metals, and one will become coated in a thin layer of the other, or you use copper sulphate solution, in which case, one of the electrodes becomes coated in copper, though i'm not certain of this. I think the coating on your electrode is just various chemicals from the Dr. Pepper drink. I think that salt water can work for this, I have done it myself, coating a key in a different metal, but that was a long time ago.

 

[MagnumForce]

Hmm...

Well I just checked on the soda, and now there is a nasty looking substance covering the surface of the soda. I wonder what that is?

Perhaps when I am done with this, I will then take what ever serviving plate, and then use a copper or something different and do the whole thing again, perhaps with different results.

 

[justDIY]

i'm pretty sure you need an acid to make electroplating work well (acid helps keep the metal ions in solution instead of perciptating out), a 'donor' source of metal ions and an extremely clean target for the ions to attach to. ... so, for acid, you could try some vinegar? for an ion donor, some copper coins (clean 'em really good with soap and water first), for a target just about anything metal and small (clean it real good too) ... then I think you hook your target up to the negative and your donor up to the postive, put 'em in the acid and turn on the juice. as the electrons move from the negative toward the postive, they create a negative charge on the target metal, this attracts the copper ions floating around in the acid (dissolved from the postive terminal). from what i read, low voltage is better than high voltage

but I'm not a chemist or a scientist, so I dont really know

I remember way back in grade school we did something involving acid and some sort of powered metals, and turned silver dimes gold in color and copper pennies silver in color.

I'm pretty sure what you've experienced is electrolysis and electrogalvanic corrosion ... not electroplating

electrolysis:
https://www.google.com/search?q=electrolysis+water

electrogalvanic corrosion:
https://www.google.com/search?q=electrogalvanic+corrosion

 

[Oznog]

There's a way to do crude electroplate "bronzing" with copper sulphate which can be found in pure form as "root killer" for sewer/septic systems. Cheap. I think it also needs sulfuric acid which can be had in pure liquid form as a somewhat rare type of drain cleaner at most hardware stores.

It can be used to "bronze" objects. Baby shoes and all. You have to cover it with silver paint (mega expensive) or conductive powder or otherwise make it conductive with some sort of solid additive.

Bunch of web pages describe how to do it.

 

[danielsmusic]

on a tv show i saw, they put a penny in some boiling water added baking powder and galvanized nails and waited. and the penny turned to silver. then thet put it on the gas flame and it turnd to gold(probbobly brass)

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

on a tv show i saw, they put a penny in some boiling water added baking powder and galvanized nails and waited. and the penny turned to silver. then thet put it on the gas flame and it turnd to gold(probbobly brass)

It was Brainiacs last night :lol:

 

[chemelec]

If you use some Copper Sulfate (Cupric Sulfate) in the solution and use a piece of Copper as the Negative Electrode, It will plate copper onto the metal object, Connected to the Positive lead.

If you use some Nickel Amonium Sulfate in the solution and use a piece of Nickel as the Negative Electrode (A Canadian Nickel or Quarter is Made of Nickel), It will plate Nickel onto the metal object Connected to the Positive lead.

Wrapping this Copper or Nickel Electrode in a Cotton Bag will help reduce Sludge in the solution.

The Addition of a Tiny bit of Sulphuric Acid or Hydrochloric Acid can sometimes help the plating process.

The Solution should be Somewhat Warm at a Constant Temperature.

The Metal object you want to plate MUST Be Very Clean and free of any Grease. Cleaning the piece in a Warm Sodium Hydroxide Solution, Rincing it in water and followed by a brief dip in Hydrochloric Acid should remove most forign substances.

A Current of about 1 to 2 amps, per Square Inch of surface area of the object to be plated is a good idea.

Electro-Plating Solutions can be Chemically, Very Complicated Formulas.
These are Just some SIMPLE Setups.

Most other metals can also be plated with simular setups.
For Gold, Use Gold Cynaide. Silver, use Silver Chloride.
Lots of Expermenting is needed to get the best results.

Take care........Gary

 

[Oznog]

BTW, among other hazards here, the "fizzing" is hydrogen and oxygen. That's not enough to be a danger from an open container. But if you put a cover over it an explosive concentration will result, a spark from messing with the leads can set it off. It's not likely to be a big boom, but it could break the container or splash chemicals on you.

 

[chemelec]

Oznog,copper sulphate which can be found in pure form as "root killer" for sewer/septic systems. Cheap. I think it also needs sulfuric acid which can be had in pure liquid form as a somewhat rare type of drain cleaner at most hardware stores.

Copper Sulphate is mainly use to Distroy Algee's that form in water.
But yes a Poor Grade is also used for what you wrote.
However in Electro-plating, there chemicals are Too Impure to use. They will create POOR Results.

Sulphuric Acid or Any Acid is NEVER used in Drain Cleaners. They will eat away the Pipes, Especially Steel ones.
Drain Cleaners are typically Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) or a Few other types of "Alkaline" Compounds. Alkaline chemicals break down Organic Matter.

 

[Oznog]

Sulphuric Acid or Any Acid is NEVER used in Drain Cleaners. They will eat away the Pipes, Especially Steel ones.

Nope! Wise or not, "Instant Power Drain Opener" by Scotch Corporation: "Warning! Contains sulfuric acid 93%". No other contents mentioned. Straight out of Home Depot, half gal I think.

 

[Someone Electro]

So there selling pure concentrated sulfuric acid under an name of an drain pipe cleaner?

Yea you beter not have metal pipes.

 

[chemelec]

Sorry but I haven't seen that particular Product, But I Totally Agree it is Not a Wise option!

Even if Your Home Pipes are not Metal, Most City Sewer pipes are Either Metal or Concrete. Both of these are Damaged by Sulfuric Acid.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Both of these are Damaged by Sulfuric Acid.

Nitric acid is particularly good on concrete :lol: a friend of mine used to work making concrete paving slabs, by vibrating them rather than the poorer quality casted ones. They used to use highly concentrated nitric acid to remove concrete from the machinery - now that WAS mean stuff.

 

[chemelec]

Typically most home supply places sell Sulfuric acid for Etching Concrete, However: Sulfuric, Hydrochloric and Nitric Acids All attack Concrete pretty good.
The Problems with Nitric Acid and Hydrochloric acid is both of them give off a lot more Fumes than Sulfuric acid.

If you want Even Better Results, Use Hydrofloric Acid. It will Even Dissolve Glass or silica.

Aqua Regia, which is a combo of Nitric and Hydrochloric will dissolve Gold.

 

[drrogla]

I think the generall ruzle of thumb is you use metalic salts and plates from the plating material on the cathode(-) and the metal to be plated on the anode(+)

for example:
Copper plating:
Copper on the cathode and the electrolyte is coppersulfate...

copper plating **broken link removed**

 

[chemelec]

That Must be an OLD Article.

Pennies in the USA are Now made of Zinc and Just plated with copper.

If you plan to Try this Experiment, Use a piece of Real copper or a Canadian Penny.

 

[williB]

This thread got me thinking of generating hydrogen & oxygen by electrolysis . ie splitting water molecules
so i used one of my previous expiriments and my excer-gen ..
i was able to produce about 1/3 of a small glass , with the H & O gas ..
there were some small bubbles attached to the side of the container , which made little popping noises when i lit them with a lighter..unfortunatly most of what i collected leaked out when the glass tipped over , i need a better collector..

 

[Someone Electro]

i was once playing whith electrlis too. I stuck in water two wires that had 50V on them and then shorthed then inside a buble to make it explode.But that sqorted water evryware.

 

[williB]

i've got the lighting of the gas worked out , but i need a better way to collect it..
EDIT:: this will work..