The amount of material that can be deposited with a galvanic electrolyte depends on several factors:
Key Factors
- Current strength and coating time: According to Faraday's law, the amount of deposited metal is directly proportional to the charge amount (current × time).
- Electrolyte composition: The metal ion content in the electrolyte determines how long it can be used before replenishment or regeneration is needed.
- Process efficiency: Deposition rates vary depending on the metal and electrolyte (e.g., copper and nickel have higher efficiency than chromium).
- Layer thickness: The thicker the layer, the more material is consumed.
Example
One liter of copper electrolyte with 100 g/l copper can theoretically coat:
- 0.1 m² with a layer thickness of 100 µm or
- 1 m² with a layer thickness of 10 µm.
Important Note
The actual coating area is often significantly larger when using the right anodes. With soluble anodes (e.g., nickel or copper anodes), the deposited metal is continuously replenished, allowing the electrolyte to regenerate itself during the process and be used for a much longer period.
