Chemistry question…

Looking into doing some nickel electroplating, and watching lots of how-to youchoobs that are best described as “amateur” and “They have NFI” at worst.

Anyway, I am interested in the chemistry involved in the following process:

Salt and vinegar are mixed, producing a sodium acetate and hydrogen chloride solution.
Nickel electrodes are inserted and current is passed through the solution.
The sacrificial cathode is dissolved, the anode throws out a lot of hydrogen while crusty stuff forms on it and the solution goes green.

What I want to know is:
Where is the Chlorine going?
Does the anode need to be nickel?
What does the sodium acetate do?

Dark Orange said:

Chemistry question…

Looking into doing some nickel electroplating, and watching lots of how-to youchoobs that are best described as “amateur” and “They have NFI” at worst.

Anyway, I am interested in the chemistry involved in the following process:

Salt and vinegar are mixed, producing a sodium acetate and hydrogen chloride solution.
Nickel electrodes are inserted and current is passed through the solution.
The sacrificial cathode is dissolved, the anode throws out a lot of hydrogen while crusty stuff forms on it and the solution goes green.

What I want to know is:
Where is the Chlorine going?
Does the anode need to be nickel?
What does the sodium acetate do?

A) I think it’d be part of forming the ‘green solution’ , nickel chloride hydrate.
B) I don’t think so
C) Acts as a buffer, maybe.

Those are my best guesses…