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Author: Subject: Plating? Cheapest, safest demonstration?
jgourlay
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[*] posted on 19-4-2011 at 11:57
Plating? Cheapest, safest demonstration?


All:

I need to give a plating demonstration. What I really WANT to do is to start with an air/aluminum battery (I can make this), making that the current source, then use that to drive a plating demo.

The demo all told needs to wrap up in an hour or so. Also, I need the plating chemical to be not horrifically toxic. Copper sulfate kinda toxic is fine, hexavalent chrome not so good....

Needs over the counter materials. What would you all suggest?
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m1tanker78
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[*] posted on 19-4-2011 at 12:19


You can't go wrong with a copper plating on a quarter demo. You'll obviously need to use HCl but is still safe compared to more exotic plating baths that use cyanides, for example. If you only have an hour, it would be best to pre-dissolve some Cu in the acid bath or use a Cu salt for ions.

Is this demo intended for children? What scale are you intending to demo?

Tom
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jgourlay
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[*] posted on 19-4-2011 at 12:23


The venue is highschool, in a home setting. HCl is fine. I'll google that. Quarter is about the right size.
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cyanureeves
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[*] posted on 19-4-2011 at 14:30


nichrome wire electrically dissolved in hcl acid or sulfuric acid solution and then carbonated with baking soda,drying and then adding vinegar will make a quick and hopefully safe plating solution. i am doing this right now and have about 5 nickel looking pennies that are starting to look chromish even.i dont think its chrome though as this not really a chromic solution. the solution is red the hydroxide is black. silver nitrate in distilled water will make a quick plating solution also.tin sulfate and zinc sulfate will also plate steel if its fairly clean,you can clean it by soaking it in rust out over night or by using sulfuric acid solution.copper will plate almost instantly with tin and zinc sulfate at almost any voltage.distilled water is the trick because tap water has alot of minerals that impede plating but some might not be too thrilled about nickel plating even with nickel sulfate. nickel is getting a bum rap.
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