Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive
(Hard Chrome Plating)

by Randy Taylor, Advanced Tooling Corporation
(Answers prior to January 1, 2006 are by Larry Zitko)

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Please read this disclaimer: Randy Taylor is an independent consultant and is not employed by the EPA or any government agency or private organization. The answers that he provides are based solely on his personal opinion and do not reflect the policy of this hosting website, the EPA or any other organization. Although he makes every attempt to provide answers that are correct, he does not always have a full understanding of the background to the question and therefore he cannot guarantee the correctness of his answers. Therefore, they are to be taken solely as a guide, and the reader is encouraged to make additional inquiries before pursuing a course of action to resolve his/her problem.

Browse the Archive by Date

March, 2010

• Stripping Chrome

February, 2010

• Failure Salt Test Hard Chromium Plating

October, 2009

• Plating Defect Pin Holes

June, 2009

• Cracks & Pitting in Chrome
• Chrome Banding

May, 2009

• Electroless Nickel-Phosphorus Plating Thickness Variation Range

April, 2009

• Hard Chrome and Pitting
• Light Scratches on Chrome
• Hydrogen Embrittlement of Decorative Chrome on Chromoly

March, 2009

• Rough Finish at Outside in Rings

December, 2008

• Nodular Deposit in Hardchrome Plating

November, 2008

• Hard Chrome on 17-4 pH steel

October, 2008

• Copper Peeling Off Parts
• Sulfamate Nickel Plating, 280.0" Lengths, 14.0"IDs
• Hard Chrome Plating Tolerance
• Chrome Plating Solution Analysis

September, 2008

• Removing Chrome from Aluminum Parts
• Brush Plating

August, 2008

• Cadmium Vs. Zinc Plating

July, 2008

• Industrial Chrome on Hydraulic Cylinder Rods

June, 2008

• Plating a Shotgun
• Chromium Extraction from Hard Disk Platters
• High Sulfates in a H/C Bath

May, 2008

• Heating a Chrome Plated Pipe
• Available Hard Chrome Finishes

April, 2008

• AISI 4340, 4130 etc., Thin Dense Chrome plating & Hydrogen Embrittelment
• Chrome Plating Temperature
• Corrosion Prevention
• Hard Chrome and RoHS Compliance
• Starting a Chrome Plating Shop
• No "Throw In" Plating

March, 2008

• Hard Chrome Plating problem

February, 2008

• Bubbles in a New Chrome Finish

January, 2008

• Chemical Deburring
• Tensiometers and Stalagmometers
• Electropolishing of Chromed Stainless Steel
• Re-Chroming Automotive Rims

December, 2007

• Plated Surface Integrity

November, 2007

• Controlling Temperature
• Max Rectifier Capacity Process Charging Limitation
• White Corrosion with Black Spots on Zinc Coatings
• Chrome Stripping and Masking
• Ultrasonic Inspection
• Hard Chrome on Aluminum
• Problem with Taper

October, 2007

• Acceptable Levels of Impurities
• Chrome Over Nickel - Hydrogen Embrittlement
• Hard Chrome Plating on Calendar Rolls
  

September, 2007

• What's the Maximum Thickness of Hard Chrome?

August, 2007

• X-ray vs. SEM testing
  

July, 2007

• Hard Chrome Plating
• Chrome Stripping

June, 2007

• Re-activation of Chrome
• Micro-cracks in Hard Chrome

May, 2007

• Chrome Motor Cycle Pipes

March, 2007

• Chrome Stripping from Steel without Damaging Substrate
• Chrome Plating on Plastic Mold
• Reducing Iron Contamination in the Hard Plating Bath

February, 2007

• Prolonging Blade Life with Hard Chrome Plating
• Sewing Mesh Pads

December, 2006

• Chrome Plating Course
• Micro Cracks in Hard Chrome
• Hard Chrome Plating SG Cast Iron

November, 2006

• Use of Hexavalent Chromium
• Chrome Guitar Hardware
• Agitation in Chromic Acid Baths
• Changing Brass to Black
• Rechroming a Bumper

August, 2006

• Chrome plating over a rough surface
• Labor-intensive masking alternatives

July, 2006

• Hydrogen generation in hard chrome plating
• Chrome plated aluminum wheels
• Chrome plating a molybdenum alloy
• Hard chrome plating over electroless nickel

June, 2006

• Hydrogen Embrittlement

May, 2006

• Spots on Nickel/Chrome-Plated Parts

April, 2006

• Blasting a Motorcycle Engine

Dec, 2003

• Aeration in Chrome Tanks
• Chrome Plating Defects

November, 2003

• Chromic Acid Level in Bath

October, 2003

• Rectifier Calibration

June, 2003

• California's South Coast Air Quality Management District Amended Rule 1469, Hexavalent Chromium Emissions from Chrome Plating and Chromic Acid Anodizing Operations vs. NESHAP

May, 2003

• Specific Gravity Monitoring

April, 2003

• Hard Chrome Plating Defects
• Basic Hard Chrome Plating Information

March, 2003

• Stripping Hard Chromium From an Aluminum Substrate

January, 2003

• Grinding, Polishing or Honing?

December, 2002

• "Triple Chrome" Plating

November, 2002

• Chromium Emissions From Chromium Stripping
• Electrowinning Chromium From Groundwater

October, 2002

• Alternatives to Chrome Plating

September, 2002

• Wear Sleeve Packing
• Determining if an Object is Chrome Plated
• Cleaning Molds
• Plating/Stripping Chromium on Tungsten

August, 2002

• Industry Standard for Re-Chroming Hydraulic Cylinder Rods
• Chromium Plating Efficiency

July, 2002

• Chromium Emissions From Electroplating

June, 2002

• Meshpads and Pressure Drop Calculations
• Removing Chrome Plating

May, 2002

• Sources of Technical Information on Chromium Plating

April, 2002

• Adhesion Problems
• Burnishing and Honing

March, 2002

• Single Catalyst Vs. Mixed Catalyst Baths
• Conforming Anodes for Hard Chrome Plating
• Material Substitution in Hard Chrome Plating
• Hard Chromium-Molybdenum Plating
• Types of Chrome Plating

February, 2002

• Hydrogen Embrittlement Failure
• Information on Hard Chrome Corrosion Data
• Porous Pots

January, 2002

• Stripping Chrome Plating
• Cracked Chromium Plating
• Rectifier for a New Chrome Plating Line
• Information on Hard Chrome Corrosion Resistance
• Chrome Plating Thickness Control
• Hard Chrome Plating Education and Training