chapados

Chapados, or plating, is the process of depositing a thin layer of one metal onto a substrate to modify appearance, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, hardness, or electrical properties. It is widely used in jewelry, electronics, automotive parts, and consumer hardware.

Common methods include electroplating, where an electrical current reduces metal ions from an electrolyte onto the conducting substrate; electroless plating, which deposits metal by chemical reduction without external current; hot-dip galvanizing, in which parts are dipped in molten zinc for corrosion protection; and other coating technologies such as physical vapor deposition used for specialized finishes.

Plating typically uses base metals such as steel, copper, brass, or aluminum, with finishes including gold, silver, nickel, chromium, copper, tin, zinc, or rhodium. Decorative plating is often thin (fractions to a few micrometers) for aesthetics, while functional plating may be thicker to improve wear or corrosion resistance.

Quality depends on bath composition, temperature, current density, agitation, and surface preparation. Common defects include poor adhesion, pitting, hydrogen embrittlement, and edge buildup.

Environmental and health considerations are important; many plating baths contain cyanides or heavy metals, requiring proper handling, treatment, and disposal under environmental regulations.

Historically, electroplating emerged in the 19th century, with early demonstrations by scientists such as Luigi Brugnatelli and later industrial scaling that enabled widespread commercial plating.