CHEMICAL EFFECTS ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF SUPPORTED ELECTRODEPOSITED METALS

Copper, zinc, silver and palladium were grown in supports of filter-paper, glass-fibre, nylon membrane and polypropylene membrane. The support has a great effect on both the macroscopic and microscopic habit of the deposits. It was difficult to plate metals from solutions containing complexing agents (e.g., cyanide, EDTA) that give anionic metal species. Brighteners and levellers that change the grain size of the deposit also affect the overall morphology. It is clear that the chemical nature of the electrolyte and the support is a major determining factor in the form of the growth.