Can I use a battery instead of an adjustable power supply unit?

Using a battery for electroplating - Why we advise against it

Whilst it is theoretically possible to use a battery instead of an adjustable power supply for electroplating, we strongly advise against it. The reason for this is the inability to precisely regulate the voltage and current, which is essential for successful electroplating.

Reasons why a battery is unsuitable:

  1. No voltage control: batteries supply a fixed voltage (e.g. 1.5V for an AA battery or 12V for a car battery). As electroplating often requires the voltage to be adjusted to control the quality of the plating, the fixed voltage of a battery often leads to sub-optimal results. This can lead to uneven layers, uncontrolled gas development (such as blistering) and other undesirable effects.
  2. Uncontrolled current: The current depends on the voltage of the battery and the resistance of the electrolytic bath. Without the ability to precisely regulate the current, the current flow may be too high, which can damage the coating, or too low, which makes the process inefficient.
  3. Decreasing power: Over the course of use, the power of the battery decreases, resulting in a decreasing voltage. This directly affects the quality and uniformity of the coating and can make the process unpredictable.
  4. Risk of incorrect coating: Due to the lack of controllability, the risk of incorrect coatings or even damage to the workpiece is significantly increased. This can lead to unnecessary material loss and additional costs.

Conclusion:

For high-quality and consistent electroplating results, it is crucial to be able to precisely control the voltage and current. A battery that does not offer any control options cannot fulfil these requirements and often leads to unsatisfactory results. We therefore recommend the use of a controllable power supply that has been specially developed for the requirements of electroplating in order to achieve optimum results.