<P> A simple modification in electroplating is pulse electroplating . This process involves the swift alternating of the potential or current between two different values resulting in a series of pulses of equal amplitude, duration and polarity, separated by zero current . By changing the pulse amplitude and width, it is possible to change the deposited film's composition and thickness . </P> <P> The experimental parameters of pulse electroplating usually consist of peak current / potential, duty cycle, frequency and effective current / potential . Peak current / potential is the maximum setting of electroplating current or potential . Duty cycle is the effective portion of time in certain electroplating period with the current or potential applied . The effective current / potential is calculated by multiplying the duty cycle and peak value of current or potential . Pulse electroplating could help to improve the quality of electroplated film and release the internal stress built up during fast deposition . Combination of the short duty cycle and high frequency could decrease the surface cracks . However, in order to maintain the constant effective current or potential, a high performance power supply may be required to provide high peak current / potential and fast switch . Another common problem of pulse electroplating is that the anode material could get plated and contaminated during the reverse electroplating, especially for the high cost, inert electrode like platinum . </P> <P> Other factors that could affect the pulse electroplating include temperature, anode - to - cathode gap and stirring . Sometimes the pulse electroplating can be performed in heated electroplating bath to increase the depositing rate since the rate of almost all the chemical reaction increases exponentially with temperature per Arrhenius law . The anode - to - cathode gap is related to the current distribution between anode and cathode . Small gap to sample area ratio may cause uneven distribution of current and affect the surface topology of plated sample . Stirring may increase the transfer / diffusion rate of metal ions from bulk solution to the electrode surface . Stirring setting varies for different metal electroplating processes . </P> <P> A closely related process is brush electroplating, in which localized areas or entire items are plated using a brush saturated with plating solution . The brush, typically a stainless steel body wrapped with an absorbent cloth material that both holds the plating solution and prevents direct contact with the item being plated, is connected to the anode of a low voltage direct current power source, and the item to be plated connected to the cathode . The operator dips the brush in plating solution then applies it to the item, moving the brush continually to get an even distribution of the plating material . </P>

Where is electroplating used in day to day life