Patent ID: 11965265
Assignee: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 26:
27. A method for changing surface features of a workpiece, comprising:
immersing a workpiece in a bath containing a first solution being an electrically neutral solution, said first solution being devoid of ions corresponding to said workpiece as the ions are generated during an application of an electric current to the workpiece, said workpiece being electrically conductive;
immersing a counter electrode in said bath;
connecting an electric power supply to said workpiece and said counter electrode;
passing the electric current in a first direction between said workpiece and said counter electrode, said workpiece serving as an anode; and
reversing said electric current to pass said electric current in a second direction between said workpiece and said counter electrode, said workpiece serving as a cathode,
wherein said electric current in said first direction drives ions from said workpiece into said first solution and said electric current in said second direction plates said ions onto said workpiece in the same bath,
wherein repeated cycles of said passing the electric current in said first direction and said reversing the current to pass the electric current in said second direction are performed in an in-situ process where polarities are switched in rapid succession,
wherein the method uses anodic voltages and cathodic voltages where the anodic voltages are positive voltages and the cathodic voltages are negative voltages,
wherein the passing the electric in the first direction is performed using said anodic voltages, and
wherein the electric current is reversed so that the electric current is passed in said second direction is performed using said cathodic voltages.