plate
Quick Summary
In metallurgy, "plate" most commonly refers to a flat, thin piece of material, especially metal. Steel plates are produced by hot-rolling heavy slabs and can be very large, with some mills producing plates up to 200 millimeters thick, 5 meters wide, and 35 meters long.12
"Plate metal" specifically refers to refined iron that is cast into molds and then broken up for remelting or use in mixtures.3
The term "plating" describes the process of applying a thin coating of metal to a surface. This can be achieved through electroplating, where an electric current is used to transfer metal ions from a solution onto a conductive surface. This process is used for various applications, such as preventing steel case hardening, providing corrosion resistance with zinc coatings, and for decorative purposes with silver, gold, nickel, and chromium.45
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

