Cyclic Voltametry is a process that helps determine ideal conditions for platings and other
electro-chemical processes. The Cyclic
Voltameter itself can be a stand alone piece of equipment or built into something else, like a Potentiostat/Galvanostat unit (a machine that runs processes at either a steady
POTENTIAL,
CURRENT, or both).
The process is quite simple. One sets up an
Electrochemical Cell as one would for a plating, but rather than simply stay at one current, the CV does a broad sweep over several different currents (ie, from -1V to 5V or whatever you choose). By looking at the graphs and seeing where the line of current vs potential intersects itself during the sweep, one can tell where optimal plating conditions are.