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Under certain conditions the electrolysis of acid copper sulfate between copper electrodes leads to formation of long filaments, or "whiskers," of copper on the cathode. Certain additives in the electrolyte are capable of overcoming the tendency toward abnormal growth and act to give smooth copper deposits. Possible mechanisms involved in electrolytic copper filament formation and its prevention are discussed, and a reasonable hypothesis to explain the process is suggested.
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Henrik Lindström (1956) studied this question.
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