Copper Electroplating - The Sci Guys: Science at Home

[@Dontfearthereaper001]

This is the most straight forward explanation of electroplating. Thank you.

[@rashimmakkar6451]

SciGuys, you manage to make difficult concepts easy. I love your experiments. Can you do a video on the working of a dry cell?

[@shalmanezer4193]

This is great. I want to copper plate an intake vent for my library and this looks like a great technique!

[@e-lessonsbyali5513]

How do electrons flow through the electrolyte? I believe only movement of ions to the oppositely charged electrodes is the reason of current flowing through the liquid. Electrons only travel through the metal (electrodes and wire) and are "picked up" by the positive ions at cathode, and negative ions "drop" electrons at anode.

[@phrogge1495]

So true

[@PhilGandFriends]

You are correct. Electrons don't flow though the electrolyte. This is an example of current flow by positively charged particles.

[@idontknow-vr7ut]

W 0:35 TBALD GIUY = P[;

[@BP-kz7rh]

Thank you The Sci Guys for this video. It's really helpful.

[@snabbott]

Cool video! My dad has been in the electroplating (particularly copper) business for as long as I can remember. Fun fact: The nail would form a (very) thin layer of copper without the electric current because iron (and zinc and aluminum) reduces Cu2+.

[@TheSciGuys]

+Stephen Abbott Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching all our videos!

[@prelwitz13]

I'm restoring a very rare and sentimental folding knife. I would like to coat the blade and copper. I am a gourmet mushroom grower and we'll be using the knife to cut through mushrooms so it's pretty soft stuff. I've watched a lot of plating videos where the copper tends to rub off somewhat but I've heard there's way not to rub off. Do you have any suggestions for the solution, voltage, time, or how many dips? Would be greatly appreciated MycoMitch.com

[@TheSciGuys]

Hey Everyone, we had to re-upload this video. We discovered and error in the animation, although subtle, that we needed to fix. Sorry for any confusions over this appearing in your feed again. We hope you will thumb it up and comment again :)

[@tammycaplinger9749]

The Sci Guys I have a question, what if I wanted to copper plate only in a specific area but not the whole thing such as putting my initials on a metal tumbler? Is that possible?

[@eunicelim910]

It's possible, but will be harder..

[@robertplandon]

Rather late reply. But, you could mask off the areas you don't want to coat with nail varnish. Then, after completing the copper plating, remove the nail varnish with acetone (nail varnish remover).

[@Joshua_Gobindah]

Try electrolysis with two copper electrodes with the same procedure you guys did.

[@johncplum7524]

Potash

[@timmer9lives]

Copper doesn’t really plate well to steel, unless you’re using cyanide. I’m thinking it’s more etched than electroplated. In fact, you didn’t show removal and wiping of the nail and I’m betting most of it wiped off. To plate steel without cyanide, use a nickel electroplate process. Much more durable.

[@saucyballs702]

I had to find that out the hard way. As soon as I dipped the iron nail in copper sulphate, it was coated with copper even without electricity. However that copper would come off as soon as I wiped it with a piece of cloth. It does not matter how long the electricity is applied the copper electroplating does not stay on the nail. Moreover, the deposited copper turns black within a few minutes. I guess that's copper oxide. Deposition of copper is not electroplating. These pseudo scientists are selling a snake oil and we are buying it.

[@Rafał-l3r]

Watching videos on KZbin, I became interested in the topic of galvanization. I decided to experiment a bit with it, but something isn't working, and I don't know where I made a mistake. I tried copper plating and nickel plating various objects, but I'll describe my problem using the example of a hammer I attempted to copper plate. First, I sandblasted the hammer, then cleaned it in an ultrasonic cleaner, and degreased it with extraction benzine. In the next step, I soaked the hammer for a few minutes in 30% hydrochloric acid. Then, I placed the hammer in a solution of distilled water (about 2 liters) and 3 tablespoons of copper sulfate, adding about 10 ml of vinegar. I set the current according to the KZbin instructions - 1A per dm³. For me, it came out to 0.5A, but I set it to 0.4A (I also tried 1A and 0.1A). The effect is that instead of covering the object with copper, a dark brown deposit forms on it, which can be easily rinsed off with running water after removing it from the bath, leaving the hammer bare and sandblasted as before the bath. What am I doing wrong? PS. I also tried a solution without vinegar, just copper sulfate and distilled water.

[@Paul-FrancisB]

That's because this video is completely misleading you, copper will precipitate on the surface of iron even without the battery in copper sulfate because the two metals are too far apart on the activity series, and intermediate plating of nickel would allow you to subsequently plate with copper if that is your desired final surface coating

[@memssworld4117]

Thanq gentlemens .. You made me understand on electroplating.❤️

[@The52brandon]

Out of curiosity, what benefit is a dust mask in this scenario? I can fully understand a respirator, but wouldn't caustic gas just build up around you and end up being inhaled via the gaps between the mask and your face? Though in fairness, there haven't been any caustic gasses any time I've electroplated, or reverse electroplated, and metals. Though I'm sure stuff like chrome won't be as gentle on the lungs

[@gambangtekop9910]

It was really really weird. I has followed your instruction, from Copper sulfat solution and i used battery 3.3 v for the supply. But the result that i got is not the same like what you did. My cathode ( iron that i want plating) was plated with black gel. Did i Miss something from here?

[@temporaryname4121]

What happened was a single replacement reaction where your iron was reacting with the CuSO4 and depositing elemental copper.

[@rahulmaurya3886]

LOL the only thing we use over here in our LAB is a lab coat. THATS IT XDXD.

[@elkakafilterstainless9151]

I made copper solution of vinegar n copper cable.. Then i do copper plating on iron material,, the copperplating result was looked good but thw bad side; so easy to washed away by water. Please, need ur input.

[@hunarali3792]

thank you sir it was very helpful in my school projects very thanx.😊😊😊

[@noorsaba3428]

hey guys...the video was great...but can u make a video explaining electrolysis

[@TheSciGuys]

+noor saba the very first video we made was on electrolysis :) check it out on our chanel

[@nadkok]

If you coat the nail longer or twice, will the layer be extra thick or will it just dissolve again

[@N-T1856]

Coool but iam curious, I have questions 1) how to make the process fast, like increasing the concentration of copper sulphate? 2) can I use it in 3d Printing by applying graphite layer on it and then performing electroplating?

[@LEO-xo9cz]

Can this solution be made using just pieces of copper?

[@jaynorman8762]

What is in the metal cleaning powder that is used in this process?

[@UnknownPerson-cl9di]

I loved the video and explanation, thanks

[@anthonytuttle3306]

You guys take safety seriousl!

[@saucyballs702]

Humans are not afraid of the dark, they are afraid of the unknown. I guess they are afraid because they do not know what they are dealing with.

[@swampy6969]

breh, this is better than my science textbook

[@RJHizzlo]

Damn +The Sci Guys!!!! Back At it again with another awesome video!!!!

[@ACM-nl7fv]

Is there a book you guys recommend for copper electroplating on 3D prints (PLA filament with graphite conductive paint)? I am going to start experimenting with small items 3D printed items first but I am trying to work up to plating larger items like a jewelry box for my mom and a Halo helmet that I printed full-size. I'm trying to understand the ratio of water and the amount of power I would need for something that would fit in a 5 gallon bucket (and the amount of copper required to achieve some level of coating). Or, if I should simply consider some sort of surface brush application technique. If I am ever successful, I will post something. I just do this for a hobby.

[@dxrken_8727]

I think you should also make a video about galvanic cell

[@OctoDork]

a great video and very informative :) Thank you so much for sharing!

[@Hasan-cu5sd]

They holding CUSO4 as if it is uranium and why a respirator 😂🤣

[@davemwangi05]

Hehehehehe, that's so funny

[@fedai1196]

lmao that is what i thought. he looks like a scared kid. Even me with my mad friend while working with acids and cyanide we had a lot of accidents. My mad friend Accidentally poured cyanide on skin , had a lot of tragedies with concentrated sulfuric acid, and he even dipped his hand in nitric acid and licked it for taste LOL but nothing happened yet cause we know what we are doing and which chemicals are a lot dangerous and actually how dangerous are they unlike compared to stupid common overrated hazard knowledge

[@davemwangi05]

@@fedai1196 About the nitric acid, and sulfuric, how long did the hand stay in contact with the acid?

[@wkhays]

Divad Ignawm He's joking.

[@SecretSk8Footage]

copper sulfate is harfmul by ingestion - it destroys your liver and kidneys - pretty hazardous actually

[@sukumaranp.s4500]

Thanks for the information 🥰 This helped me a lot for my experiment.

[@NotAGoodUsername360]

You joked about electroplating yourself to get Collossus skin being a terrible idea, but is skin even conductive enough for the process to work? As in, would it be possible to coat, say, a steak in copper or zinc and completely coat it? Obviously the acid would corrode the organic material, but that should take a while for the reaction to complete

[@ScienceWithJames]

NotAGoodUsername360 The extremely minute amount of sulfuric acid made would not be nearly enough to be corrosive. However, copper sulfate is toxic. So it would not be a good idea.

[@darthvader5300]

Copper sulfate is used as the electrolyte to conduct power and transfer copper to the NEGATIVE cathode from the POSITIVE anode using D.C power.

[@nobackhands]

I am trying copper electroplating but getting electroforming...any recommendations

[@Luffytaro72]

Hey....!!!! Plz make a vdo on discharging of charges....like it happens in a Thunderstorm...

[@bretdegayner8934]

Lots of videos on copper plating, but I can't find any on polishing the raw copper after its plated. It's dull and rough and I need to know the steps to make it shine.

[@christopherlyons7613]

Question. What role does the DC voltage used have? If you were to use a larger voltage what affect would that have? How thick of a copper coat can you get? If you leave it in solution for a longer time will that increase the copper layer? What are some guidelines for length of time left in solution? How long will the prepared copper sulfate solution be useable? Are there any ways you can determine if the solution needs to be changed? The piece of copper used to grab copper ions from will last for how long? I do stained glass work and would like to copper plate my pieces (basically plating copper onto solder seams (60% tim & 40% lead)). Can this be ramped up to allow me to do that? With a larger piece being plated, do you have to use a higher voltage? And how would time left in solution vary as your piece size increases? Appreciate any Info. Thanks.

[@chrispfeif5552]

Thanks Heisenbergs, is this too thin to polish to a shine later? how long would it take to plate for this? thanks

[@fredwild190]

Good video. What electrical resistance would you expect through the electrolytic cell? Thank you.

[@nbalfour4241]

Great video! Do you know if it’s possible to electroplate copper onto nickel brass? I’m trying to figure out the process by experimenting with different techniques but haven’t had any luck.

[@propeople8528]

Just wanted to ask, what will happen if we add a metal rod instead of copper rod, and can we use copper sulphate solution instead of root killer thanks!

[@NoSpace4Bass]

Cool, Now how to get the copper to actually adhere to the iron? (without cyanide solutions)

[@ryanslabandtheworldofchemi3690]

NoSpace4Bass You just need to lower the current ( amps ) and keep the metal in the solution for more time , so that the copper layer can build up and sticks to the surface to the metal . If you use a high current and a long time bath it will form copper cristals instead , so make sure you don't use a high current . You can use a simple 1.5v carbon - zinc battery and by keeping it for a couple hours you should end up with a nice coating of thick copper . Good luck for you ! ; )

[@frjoseph100]

How should I dispose of the solution when finished?

[@neutronpcxt372]

@@frjoseph100 You can do 2 things, or 3 if you are a bit risky: 1. Dump it in the sink with LOTS OF WATER. Lots if needed to lower the concentration of copper acetate. 2. Boil off all of the water to get copper crystals. You can dispose of it in the trash. 3. Dilute it and put it in your garden where you don't want plants.

[@JagdeepRamgarhia]

We can use tap water + table salt, instead of copper sulphate +water, right

[@rampekt]

Hello! What are the exact proportions of the solution?

[@shwetarai2585]

Thank you very much

[@adityaarchi]

Can you guys , please make a video of electrorefining of pure and impure copper ?

[@kunangichan142]

Why must the non-galvanised nail be properly scrubbed and cleaned prior to it being electroplated?

[@kunangichan142]

Where do you think the electrons moving up through the copper tubing come from?

[@deanthomas9225]

Here's a question; Take an woman's acrylic finger nail coated with something to adhere to. Could a process be made safe enough to plate such a nail while it is attached to the finger by means of super glue? Would there be any pain or damage to the skin? If you could answer I would be grateful.

[@leonardo1480]

after copper plating an object, can the copper plated item be polished up without the copper plating coming off?

[@neutronpcxt372]

Yes, but you would a thick coating, so wait for it to coat for about 2-24 hours depending on how thick you want the coating.

[@Epicdio01]

How do I make a cobalt chrome nickel solution for electroplating

[@9iron642]

Can this process be used on aluminum?

[@elsaannageorge1896]

Is it necessary to use a non-galvanized nail ??

[@TheTbird35]

Hello, great information in a very distinct form. My question is is it possible or dangerous to mix a copper sulfate such as root kill into a pre-existing copper anode solution of distilled vinegar?

[@fabuloustulip4889]

love this

[@aleezagill4988]

Which electrolyte solution is best for titanium electrodeposition on stainless steel?

[@vidyakhairnar1301]

Can we do zinc plating with ZnSO4 (zinc sulpate)

[@HenryStarling]

Could this be done to chrome plastic is said plastic was coated in a conductive primer?

[@shitheadjohnson2797]

how long does it take to get a well adhered 1 mm?

[@randytravis3998]

other videos I have watched say that the part needs to be nickel plated before copper plating .. if not the copper will not work or hold up ..

[@notpsycho4]

That was amazing 👍👍👍

[@prabathdisanayaka6075]

Thank you😍

[@muhammadamin2665]

Thanks for this video good informative thank a lot

[@sanb3586]

Hello can you tell me the mixing ratios of Copper Sulphate and water ???

[@LordMarinade]

What is that animation? I think electrons always flow from the positive pole to negative pole. The way you explained it looks like they go from - to + and then the current flow makes no sense.

[@TANVEERAHMAD-wc9vk]

have to i change copper piece and copper sulfate after how many time ? Please tell me Thanks

[@MrJMont21]

How do you know the electrons are travelling from the negative electrode to the positive and not the other way around?

[@brandonparr6345]

Because the solution is the catalyst

[@HazzShane-cr5yy]

nile red would be proud.

[@DarthAlgar5]

Can you do this with titanium?

[@UnknownPerson-cl9di]

What happens if you apply too much voltage? like 12v or smth?

[@KV_talks]

What is maximum thickness can achieve and what is the range of thickness good for industrial use part

[@poongkodipoongkodi6117]

I'm Malaysian and I'm 14years old I'm doing in my home it's work it!!!!!

[@MuzikBike]

Would zinc galvanisation be done with a similar process?

[@TheSciGuys]

I believe so but it would probably require a different voltage and I believe the solution is harder/more caustic to make.

[@kishore2795]

Hey, I really like your video and got some new ideas. I have a question that, can we like rust nail? and if possible can we measure it??

[@LiamNoir]

Electrons do not travel through electrolytes. The suggestion at 3:50 that they do is incorrect and misleading. In this example, the source of electrons in the circuit is from the copper pipe, the electrons are received from Cu2+ ions. You could say there is a flow of cations in the electrolyte, but not electrons.

[@niharikatanwar862]

Nice video. I tried the same and my experiment was successful.

[@Lu_No9x]

3:40 since when current flows from negative side to positive side?

[@sreelakshmi8659]

Awesome explanation..! What direction does electricity flow; from positive to negative or from negative to positive...??

[@linzelj]

In reality the electrons flow OUT of the negative electrode [cathode] towards the positive electode [anode]. However, as another commentor stated, when theories about electricity and electrons began, scientists at the time arbitrarily stated the 'particle' [unknown at the time] moved from pos to neg. Because the positive charge is locked into the nucleus, and the electron is the particle that moves, we now know the electrons flow from neg to pos. HOWEVER, if someone is talking about CONVENTIONAL current , they are talking about how the HOLE where the electron WAS [after it moves] is a POSITIVE hole. The POSITIVE HOLE moves from pos to neg.] in the opposite direction of the electron flow. There are videos on youtube that will demonstrate this.

[@_ytuser11]

Still why we want to use a copper rod if we can cover the nail with copper from electrolysis of copper sulphate because as simple, electricity will break the electrolyte,copper and sulpher so sulpher should get attracted to the copper rod.Please tell

[@uffejnsson1193]

Hi Is It posible to make a cobber surface on a ZA12 metal? Regards uffe

[@alanxiang2969]

can someone tell me how long you should leave the nail in the solution

[@anushbijoor3415]

What's the time duration to see deposition of copper on nail??? Please I need help

[@Oms7576]

Tahnk you so much

[@kumarasiriperera2403]

How long will it take??

[@shahidansari875]

How much chloride we need to maintain in acid copper plating bath??

[@sunenadeswal2292]

Q- what about the sulphate ions will they move towards anode?? Plz answer

[@GTOKroh]

will this work to copper plate aluminum?

[@andrewfong4216]

I don't believe that free electrons are the charge carriers through the copper sulfate solution. The cupric positive ions are the charge carriers. When they reach the nail, they are neutralized by two electrons coming from the circuit to form metallic copper with no charge. At the other electrode (copper pipe) a copper atom at the surface donates two of its electrons to the electrode, and then becomes a cupric ion that departs into the solution. If you don't have a piece of copper pipe, you can use a length of pure copper wire instead.

[@ashwynn4177]

How is this different from electroforming?

[@grupinfractionalorganizatp5003]

the crome plating can be made on a metal without coper first? how you know - the liquid blue are can be throw because are not plating ,by color ?

[@merrymary6542]

Really good instructions - thanks. I want to electroplate a "zinc alloy" pendant with copper. Will this process work? Should I coat the piece with conductive paint first or isn't that necessary since I doubt that it's galvanized?

[@mookfaru835]

All metals are good conductors

[@Kris_413]

what is happening at the anode and cathode i didn't get that part

[@realflow100]

Can you copper plate aluminum? Can I just use a chunk of copper. and some aluminum. distilled water. and baking soda and a variable voltage and current power supply to hook up to them? I want a durable thick but not TOO thick layer of copper on the aluminum surface. so that if it gets scratched a little it wont expose the aluminum.

[@Md_Ayan_saifi]

How to get shiny results at the end of plating

[@kuljitsinghmatharoo8481]

Very nice

[@raviaraniya477]

sir how to make copper powder using electrolysis process ?

[@bharathirajesh4369]

Name the electrolyte used in this video

[@yashmishra4524]

is AgNo3 the best chemical for silver electroplating?

[@alexportiiii6414]

What gasses are released? any?

[@hamzabilal9124]

Hi guys, can I please know if this will be more of a physics or a chemistry thing if I vary the current to the power supply to see the effect in mass gain and mass loss of the cathode and the anode respectively.

[@dumitrymd5557]

It is possible elecroplating aluminium?

[@jimmy2dub]

No Sulphuric acid in the solution? I always thought that was necessary?

[@TheSciGuys]

+Jim Grant you're right, no sulphuric acid needed.

[@neutronpcxt372]

Yeah. You just need an acid to work, like vinegar, or muriatic acid.