Determination of the laws of polarization by coupling measurements with numerical tool

Electrochemical plating is used to give a particular property to a component. This can be a decorative aspect (silver, gilding), a physical or mechanical property different from an existing one (hard chromium), or, a protection against corrosion (nickel and chromium). On the other hand, the design of an electrochemical cell needs many experimental tests in order to lead to an optimal geometry of the electrodes, an appropriate electrolyte, and to produce a uniform deposit. The industrial cells with respect of a complex geometry can be modeled, a large gain is reached in coat. The software CASTOR ELEC3D, in three-dimensional space, simulates deposit distribution. Many industrial cells have been modeled and numerical results are in good agreement with deposit measurements. The numerical method is based on boundary element method, by coupling with a Newton–Raphson iterative technique of resolution to treat the non-linearity of experimental boundary conditions. In electroplating numerical process, boundary conditions on the cathodic and anodic electrodes are experimental polarization laws. The objective of this present work is to identify these laws, we adjust the model to be in good agreement with the experimental measurements.