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Chrome plating is a finishing treatment utilizing the Electrolytic Deposition of Chromium . The most common form of chrome Plating is the thin, decorative '''bright chrome''', which is typically a 10 µm layer over an underlying polished Nickel plate. It imparts a highly reflective finish to items such as metal furniture frames and automotive trim. Thicker deposits, up to 1000 µm, are called '''hard chrome''' and are used in industrial equipment to reduce Friction and wear and to restore the dimensions of equipment that has experienced wear. '''Black chrome''' is a variant in which process conditions are altered to give the plating a dark color. CHROMIUM PLATING SOLUTIONS There are two types of chromium plating: industrial and decorative. Industrial chromium plating is also referred to as Hard Chrome or Engineered Chrome. There are two types of Industrial chrome plating solutions: # Hexavalent Chromium baths whose main ingredient is chromic anhydride. # Trivalent chromium baths whose main ingredient is chromium sulfate or chromium chloride. Trivalent chromium baths are not yet common, due to restrictions concerning color, brittleness, and plating thickness. TYPICAL BATH COMPOSITION AND OPERATION OF THE HEXAVALENT BATH
TYPICAL PLATING PROCESS The component will generally go through these different stages.
There are many variations to this process depending on the type of substrate being plated upon. Different etching solutions are used for different substrates. Hydrochloric, Hydroflouric, and Sulphuric acids can be used, and ferric chloride is also popular for the etching of Nimonic alloys. Sometimes the component will enter the chrome plating vat electrically live. Sometimes the component will have a conforming anode either made from lead/tin or platinized titanium. A typical hard chrome vat will plate at about 25 micrometres (0.001 inches) per hour. To put that into perspective a human hair is between 50 to 100 micrometres. QUALITY REQUIREMENTS Hard chromium layers (over 10 micrometres) can be used in various applications and consequently subject to different types of quality requirements. Hard chromium layers on piston rods of hydraulic cylinders are tested on corrosion resistance in salt spray cabinets. Because these are destructive tests, only representative sample material can be tested. The salt spray solutions and the conditions in the cabinet are normed as well as the evaluation of the result after the test. The duration of the test is depending the agressivity of the test and the standard the industry has developed for this type of materials. Typically for engineering purposes the hardness value will be between 800 - 1000 HV500 when subject to a Vickers Hardness Test . In general there is a requirement that the deposit be uniform in thickness on all surfaces, and should be smooth, homogeneous and free from frosty areas, pin holes, pits, nodules, and other defects. SEE ALSO Chromium plating specifications, including quality requirements, can be found in the following documents: AMS 2406K, Plating, Chromium Hard Deposit AMS-QQ-C-320, Chromium Plating (Electrodeposited). |
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