Electro galvanizing is one of the best known galvanization treatment types, ideal for protecting smaller artifacts from corrosion. This particular process guarantees a top quality electro-coated film as an alternative to more expensive methods such as chrome and nickel plating. The purpose of Electro galvanizing is to safeguard the articles from the weather factors’ corrosive action. It occurs through electro-deposition, the steel’s surface is protected by applying a metal layer that technically resembles more a cataphoresis paint than a galvanizing process.
The process used in electroplating is called electrodeposition. It is analogous to a concentration cell acting in reverse. The part to be plated is the cathode of the circuit. In one technique, the anode is made of the metal to be plated on the part. Both components are immersed in a solution called an electrolyte containing one or more dissolved metal salts as well as other ions that permit the flow of electricity. A power supply supplies a direct current to the anode, oxidizing the metal atoms that it comprises and allowing them to dissolve in the solution. At the cathode, the dissolved metal ions in the electrolyte solution are reduced at the interface between the solution and the cathode, such that they "plate out" onto the cathode.
