Abstract
Pb-Te and Pb-Ag alloys were tested as anodes for chromium electroplating, and were compared with the Pb, Pb-Sn and Pb-Sb alloys that are used as anodes in commercial chromium electroplating. The Pb-Ag alloys did not dissolve in H2SO4 during the electrolysis test period.
The amount of PbCrO4 produced on the anode surface in the electrolytes was very small for Pb-Ag alloys, while electrocatalytic activity during anodic oxidation of Cr3+ to Cr2O72- was lower than for the other Pb alloys. Pb-Te alloys were found to be the most suitable anodes for chromium electroplating because their anodic dissolution was relatively small and their electrocatalytic activity for this reaction was high.
The relationship between electrocatalytic activity and the rate of production of PbCrO4 was also discussed.
