Electroplating is an electrifying process that employs an electric current to reduce metal cations in the solution, forming a thin, cohesive layer of metal on the electrodes creating silver chloride electrodes.
The process helps to protect the metal from corrosion, as well as to add thickness and create electroplated objects. It also gives the metal certain qualities, like hardness and strength, that it rarely possesses.
Schuette Metals, our sister company, shares an excellent overview of electroplating in this article on its blog, The FAB Times.
Electroplating is like electrolysis, which also uses electricity to split the solution. However, electroplating requires current, whereas electrolysis produces current, and both are part of the same scientific field: electrochemistry. Electroplating is a stimulating way to give metal surfaces exciting new attributes!