In the electroplating industry, pulse power electroplating has attracted attention due to its superior coating performance. Compared with traditional DC electroplating, it can obtain coatings with finer, more uniform, and higher purity crystals. Of course, pulse electroplating is not suitable for all scenarios, it has its own scope of application.
So, what are the main applications of pulse electroplating? This starts with its several outstanding advantages.
1. The crystallization of the coating is more refined
During pulse conduction, the peak current can reach several times or even more than ten times the DC current. A higher current density leads to a higher overpotential, significantly increasing the number of atoms adsorbed on the cathode surface. The nucleation rate is much faster than the crystal growth rate, resulting in a finely crystallized coating. This type of coating has high density, high hardness, few pores, and better corrosion resistance, wear resistance, welding, conductivity, and other properties. Therefore, pulse electroplating is widely used in functional electroplating fields that require high performance.
2. Better dispersal ability
Pulse electroplating has good dispersion ability, which is particularly important for some decorative electroplating. For example, when gold or silver plating large workpieces, pulse electroplating can make the color more uniform and the quality more stable. Meanwhile, due to the addition of an external control method, the dependence of coating quality on the bath solution is reduced, and operational control is relatively easier. Therefore, in some high demand decorative electroplating, pulse electroplating still has its value. Of course, for conventional protective decorative electroplating, such as bicycles, fasteners, etc., it is not necessary to use it.
3. Higher purity of coating
During the pulse off period, some favorable desorption processes occur on the cathode surface, such as adsorbed hydrogen gas or impurities detaching and returning to the solution, thereby reducing hydrogen embrittlement and improving the purity of the coating. The high purity of the coating enhances its functionality. For example, pulse silver plating can significantly improve weldability, conductivity, color resistance, and other properties, and has important value in military, electronics, aerospace, and other fields.
4. Faster sedimentation rate
Some people may think that pulse electroplating has a lower deposition rate than direct current electroplating due to the presence of a turn off period. Actually, it's not like that. The sedimentation rate depends on the product of current density and current efficiency. Under similar average current densities, pulse electroplating tends to deposit faster due to the recovery of ion concentration in the cathode region during the off period, resulting in higher current efficiency. This feature can be used in continuous electroplating production that requires rapid deposition, such as electronic wires.
Of course, in addition to the aforementioned applications, with technological advancements, pulse power supplies are also constantly expanding their applications in fields such as nanoelectrodeposition, anodizing, and electrolytic recovery. For conventional electroplating, switching to pulse electroplating solely to improve production efficiency may not be economical.
Post time: Dec-17-2025
