Problems in Copper and Zinc Electroplating

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around the process of copper plating on iron nails, highlighting that this reaction is spontaneous and does not require an external current. Participants inquire about the specifics of the plating setup, including voltage settings, duration of the plating process, and the materials used for the electrodes. The original poster utilized a setup with two 1.5V batteries, copper sulfate solution, and iron nails, although the concentration of the solution was not precisely measured. There is also a query about zinc electroplating on iron, noting that zinc has a more negative standard electrode potential, suggesting it may also be spontaneous. Clarifications are made regarding the roles of the electrodes, with emphasis on the need for one electrode to produce copper while the other serves a different function. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the spontaneity of copper plating and the potential for enhanced results with applied current.
hojess02
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Hi~
Pic 1: The first time we electroplated iron nail with copper. The surface of the nail had black substance after electroplating it.
Pic 2: The second time we did it & we used a lower concentration of copper(II) sulphate as electrolyte.

I wonder is that black substance copper oxide & what is the relationship between that black substance and the concentration of copper(II) sulphate.

Thanks!!
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Welcome to PF. :smile:

Can you say more about your plating setup? What settings are you using? How long are you letting the plating process run?
 
Cu plating on an iron nail is spontaneous. You shouldn’t have needed any current. What was the other electrode made of? Were those galvanized nails?
 
chemisttree said:
Cu plating on an iron nail is spontaneous.
With current the process can be definitely speed up (and you can plate much thicker layers).
 
berkeman said:
Welcome to PF. :smile:

Can you say more about your plating setup? What settings are you using? How long are you letting the plating process run?

We used 3.0V (combination of two 1.5V batteries), copper plate, iron nail, 2 wires with crocodile clips, copper(II) sulphate solution (about 0.5M) (We didn't measure the concentration precisely) ThxThx
 
Last edited by a moderator:
chemisttree said:
Cu plating on an iron nail is spontaneous. You shouldn’t have needed any current. What was the other electrode made of? Were those galvanized nails?
I see... Is zinc electroplating on iron spontaneous too? Since zinc has a more negative standard electrode potential. Those were non-galvanized nails.
 
Borek said:
With current the process can be definitely speed up (and you can plate much thicker layers).
I see... thanks!
 
You are using two iron nails for electrodes. Only one will produce copper. Which one is black? Anode or cathode?
 
  • #10
chemisttree said:
You are using two iron nails for electrodes. Only one will produce copper. Which one is black? Anode or cathode?
There is a problem with OP post formatting, but I believe they used copper plate for the anode.
 

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