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Science project and plating zinc

 

This question concerns my daughter's science project. We are trying to plate zinc onto carbon rods. We are using a 6-volt battery as electrical source and Zn(SO₄)₂ to plate. We are not having much success. Any suggestions? Should we add a base?

Maureen Dombourian
- Kenner, Louisiana

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My suggestion would be to plate onto something other than carbon rods, Maureen. These are not metallic so you haven't a good starting point for the deposit, and there is a property (which is probably beyond your daughter's grade level) called "hydrogen overvoltage" which dictates that it is difficult to plate onto carbon because of carbon's propensity to divert the electricity you are supplying into separating water into hydrogen and oxygen instead of reducing the zinc ions to zinc metal. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
 

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December 16, 2008

Don't be disheartened by what the man told you. WE recently did PRECISELY what your daughter was trying to do. I could even send you a small "chunk" of our undoubtedly successful effort as PROOF of our new capability.

We were engaged in scientific research and, as often happens, suddenly discovered the 'method' for what YOU are trying to do whilst we were focused upon achieving a considerably different goal.

Call 607 798 7129. JUST SAY THAT you are leaving a message for John Berry. Give your Name, Phone Number, email address, and mailing address. If you don't get ahold of anyone on your first phoning attempt, well, keep trying. Sooner or later someone will be here to take your call. The phone number above is for PS Electronics.

At the very least, I would be more than willing to SELL a piece of Zinc-plated-onto-CarbonRod to you. Your daughter could then take it to school and, with it, impress all of her professors.

Sincerely,

...the holder of the secret...

John Berry

P.S. Is your daughter doing research into Spintronics
or even Carbon Nanotubes ?

John Berry
- Johnson City, NY USA

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Thanks, John. That's fine and all, and we salute your progress in Spintronics, but I doubt that Maureen's daughter's science project is to simply go out and buy an electroplated item :-)

Rather, she probably is expected to actually do electroplating. We have instructions on how to do that in our FAQ: How Electroplating Works, and I think her school project will go better if she electroplates pennies or brass keys rather than carbon rods. I also think she'll get a better grade, impress her teacher more, and learn more by showing off her capability than your capability. Thanks again.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
December 16, 2008