Chrome Plating

Definition:
Chrome plating (chromium plating) is
a technique of electroplating a thin
layer of chromium onto
a metal object.
The chromed layer can be decorative,
provides corrosion resistance, easy
cleaning procedures and increases
surface hardness.
Sometimes a less expensive copy of
chrome may be used for aesthetic
purposes.
They are classifies into two main
categories: A) Decorative chrome and
B) Hard chrome
 Process:
1. Degreasing to remove heavy soiling.

2. Manual cleaning to remove all

residual traces of dirt and surface
impurities.

3. Various pretreatments depending

on the material to be plated.
4. Place material into the chrome
plating tub, where it is allowed to
get warm to solution
temperature.
5. Solutions like hydrochloric acid,
hydrofluoric acid and sulfuric
acid are used as electrolytes.
6. Application of plating current,
under which the component is
left for the required time to attain
thickness.
7. Fix negative anode to workpiece
and dip it in solution.
8. Negative charge will attract positive
charge on metals and hence, ions
from solution will get deposited on
workpiece.
9. Temperature should be between
35C to 46 C.
10. Wearing a mask while operating is
necessary.
11. Remove workpiece from tank and
rinse it with water.
 Factors affecting Chrome plating
1. Electrode position: The area which is near to cathode receives most
current and coating is thicker at that side. All the parts should be properly
arranged so that coating is done uniformly on all workpieces.
2. Current distribution: It is based on purity of bath and its concentration.
Uneven distribution of current can cause depletion of electrode.
3. Throwing power: It is the ability of electrolyte to deposit metal of uniform
thickness on workpiece. It helps in filling of small scratches in workpiece
making it uniform.
4. Leveling and brightening: Levelling means filling of metal in scratches or
cracks of workpiece. Brightening is ability of deposit to reflect light i.e.
uniform distribution.
5. Adhesion: The metal should adhere on workpiece and not peel off.
6. Deposit growth: The deposit gets thicker when left for particular time.
1. Decorative chrome plating:
Nickel is coated before chromium plating giving high corrosion resistance.
Designed to be aesthetically pleasing and durable.
Dry film thickness should be between 0.13 to 0.25m.
Applied over metals like steel, aluminum, plastic, copper alloys and zinc
alloys.
Corrosion resistant.
Some applications of decorative plating are:
1. Door handles
2. Automobile hubs and wheels
3. Racks and furniture fittings.
4. Kitchen utensils.
 Advantages:
Wear resistance.
Can be easily cleaned.
Stain resistant which gives benefit for decorative applications.
2. Hard Chrome plating:
Also known as industrial chrome or
engineered chrome.
Used to reduce friction, improved
durability, through abrasion
tolerance and wear resistance.
Also increases material hardness.
Dry film thickness is thicker than
decorative chrome. It ranges
between 0.2 to 0.6mm depending on
application.
 Metals such as steel, stainless, bronze, brass
etc, can be hard chromed.
Some applications of hard chrome plating are:
1. Hydraulic and pneumatic piston rods and
cylinders.
2. Press tools, Moulds, dies screws etc.
3. Food machinery.
4. Automotive and mechanical components.
5. Mining equipment.
 Advantages:
High hardness- Hence the term hard chrome. Hardness varies between 63-
70 HRc.
Low coefficient of friction- That is why they are used in coating bearing and
seal surfaces and machinery components.
Wear resistance- High hardness and low friction properties help in resisting
wear and tear of metal and extending life of moulds, dies and punches.
Corrosion resistance- Extremely high resistance to oxidation which protects
base metal to corrode.
Machining- Hard chrome deposits can be finished by grinding or polishing.
Inspection Criteria:
All the components are visually checked for defects like peeling off of
plating, Uneven film, corrosion etc.
Dry film thickness is checked with DFT meter and it should be more than or
equal to 35 micron.
Hardness is also tested i.e. micro hardness should be 850 HV or more than
that.
Corrosion resistance is checked by Copper Accelerated Salt Spray test
(CASS).
- It is a method that involves adding acetic acid to a solution containing salt
used in salt spray tests.
- This method is much more corrosive than the ordinary salt spray method
of testing.
Thank you!!