| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2020 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Electrometallurgy 2020
|
| Presentation Title |
Theories of Electrodeposition, Beings-of-reason, and Reality |
| Author(s) |
Peter A. Adcock, Cora E. Masterlark |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Peter A. Adcock |
| Abstract Scope |
In any modern science, the interpretation of experimental results often leads to postulation of then unverified entities and these “beings of reason” may become incorporated into scientific theories. Strictly, a being of reason is something with no independent existence outside the human mind. Occasionally, a postulated entity is shown beyond doubt to correspond to a “new” real being. In this paper, examples will be discussed of postulated chemical entities or mechanistic details in modern theories of electrodeposition. Zinc will be considered, then other metals. Several notions of processes / intermediates involved in electrodeposition will be compared, each being scrutinized in terms of chemical reasonableness and agreement with laws and empirical results from studies of external reality. Elimination of some spurious entities or steps may give more acceptable theories of electrodeposition, which would provide firmer ground for meeting current challenges in existing processes, for innovation, and for development of new processes. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: Supplemental Proceedings volume |