Electrolytic cell Electrolytic cell An electrolytic cell is an electrochemical cell that drives a non-spontaneous redox reaction through the application of electrical energy. They are often used to decompose chemical compounds, in a process called electrolysis—the Greek word lysis means "to break up". Important examples of electrolysis are the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen, and bauxite into aluminium and other chemicals. Electroplating (e.g. of copper, silver, nickel or chromium) is done using an electrolytic cell. Electrolysis is a technique that uses a direct electric current (DC). An electrolytic cell has three component parts: an electrolyte and two electrodes (a cathode
Plasma electrolytic oxidation consisting of the wall of the bath itself. Potentials of over 200 V are applied between these two electrodes. These may be continuous or pulsed direct current (DC) (in which case the part is simply an anode in DC operation), or alternating pulses (alternating current or "pulsed bi-polar" operation) where the stainless steel counter electrode might just be earthed. One of the remarkable features of plasma electrolyte coatings is the presence of micro pores and cracks on the coating surface. Plasma electrolytic oxide coatings are generally recognized for high hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. However, the coating properties are