Oscillographic studies on the effects of addition agents during copper deposition.

In the electrodeposition of copper from a solution of acid copper sulphate as encountered in refinery practice, eeyeral factors may exert profound, if not controlling, influence on the physical characteristics of the deposit. Unquestionably one of the most important of these factors, which ia almost invariably operative in commercial electro-refining, is the presence in the electrolyte of one or more so-called addition agents. An addition agent may be regarded simply as any substance whlch, when present in the electrolyte in relatively small amount, is capable of modifying the physical properties of the deposit. The term is generally reserved for substanoes which impart beneficial or desirable properties that would not otherwise be realized under comparable conditions of electrodeposit1on. The number of addition agents in use is very large but few have been subjected to fundamental investigation. The present investigation is an effort to obtain fundamental information which might promote some clarification of the mechanism by which addition agents exert the various effects attr1butable to them.[...