Overview On Decorative Chrome Plating

Decorative chrome plating is also called as nickel chrome plating because it always involves electroplating nickel onto the object before plating the chrome.

Nickel plating has smoothness, corrosion resistance and is reflective.

But chrome plating is exceptionally thin, measured in millionths of an inch rather than in thousandths.

When you look at decorative chromium plated surface, like chrome plated wheel or truck bumper, what you actually see is the effect of nickel plating.

The chrome adds a bluish cast, and it protects against tarnish, and minimizes scratching. Some metals like zinc die castings, cannot be directly nickel plated but must be copper plated first. Other materials, like aluminum, cannot be copper plated until they have been zincated.

Decorative chromium plating is applied in many consumer items, including appliances and plumbing fixtures.

This finish is also used in many industrial parts, including medical, motorcycle, automotive, and marine items.

Comments

Importance Of Electroplating

Electroplating means deposition of a thin layer of metal to a work piece using an electrolytic process. Electroplating is useful in automotive industry for chrome plating and in electronic industry for optics and sensors. The purpose of electroplating is - appearance, protection, special surface properties and engineering or mechanical properties. All the electroplating finishes are of extremely high quality. Zinc plating, nickel plating, chrome plating and copper plating are just a few examples of CA metal plating chemicals. Nickel coatings have a decorative appearance, corrosion protection, ferromagnetism properties, and wear resistant. The properties of tin coatings are - good appearance, solder ability, nontoxic, corrosion protection, and low friction. The applications of electroplated tin alloys are electronics, semiconductors, food containers, packages, and engine applications. The applications of hard chromium electroplating are industrial rolls, plastic molds, cutting tools,...

Does Chrome Have a Shiny Finish?

Chrome is a metal, but it is not useful for solid or pure substance. Chrome really means that it has a thin layer and a plating of chrome on the object (the bulk of the object has steel, but sometimes brass, aluminium, copper, plastic or stainless steel). People generally think that any shiny finish is chrome even when it has nothing to do with chromium. For example, electro polished stainless steel boat rigging, shiny painted wheels, vacuum metallized balloons and helmets, brightly polished aluminum motorcycle parts, are sometimes called 'chrome' by the common person. Chrome plating is bluer, reflective and more specular than other finishes. If we put one end of the yardstick in a bright finish then the clouds reflection can be seen in the chrome plating.

Zinc Provide Maximum Corrosion Resistance

The extensive use of zinc, both as a sacrificial coating on steel and also as a stand-alone material, require a high level of corrosion resistance in order to increase the product life cycle and to avoid ecological pollution by metal ions. Zinc coatings and castings on steel can be anodized so as to produce a tough and stable coating. The corrosion resistance is said to be superb. Being used by the military immersed on the subs for high corrosion problem areas such as mooring cleats with good results. A special zinc anodizing handling is available for zinc castings. This coating is entirely different than that for aluminum alloys. Anodizing zinc is a practical coating providing maximum corrosion resistance in both atmospheric and marine environments. As the process uniformly coats deep recess and threaded areas, anodized zinc alloy castings could serve as an economical alternative when replacing traditional bronze, brass and stainless steel components. Steel items could be fabricat...

Metals & Chemicals

Search This Blog