Striated morphology during electrodeposition

Comparative study of striated morphologies obtained during the electrodeposition of various metals is performed using rotating electrodes. The formation of striation during electrodeposition of zinc, copper, and silver follows the streamlines of the fluid, and is observed to be accompanied by small or negative polarization resistance. The spacings between striae depends strongly on the applied current density. The spacing decreases with current density in the case of zinc and silver, however, a reverse trend is observed in the case of copper. Linear stability analysis shows that spatial multiplicity occurs when (partial derivative i/partial derivative C)eta < 0. The experimentally observed spacings between striae (0.1 similar to 1 mm) are in agreement with the wavelength obtained from the linear stability analysis. The analysis of polarization and striation data shows fairly good qualitative agreement with respect to the effects of current density, diffusion layer thickness, and electrolyte concentration on striation.