Definition 1: Electroplating
The process of coating an electrically conductive object with a thin layer of metal using an electrical current.
Electroplating occurs when an electrically conductive object is coated with a layer of metal using electrical current. Sometimes, electroplating is used to give a metal particular properties or for aesthetic reasons:
corrosion protection
abrasion and wear resistance
the production of jewellery
Electro-refining (also sometimes called electrowinning) is electroplating on a large scale. Copper plays a major role in the electrical industry as it is very conductive and is used in electric cables. One of the problems though is that copper must be pure if it is to be an effective current carrier. One of the methods used to purify copper, is electrowinning (copper ore is processed into impure blister copper, which is then deposited as pure copper through electroplating).