What is Hard Chrome?

Hard Chrome Plating is an electrolytic process utilizing a chromic acid based electrolyte. The part is made the cathode and, with the passage of a DC current via lead anodes, chromium metal builds on the component surface.

Request more information on hard chrome plating A wide variety of parts can be coated; it requires only the proper fixturing, a large enough bath, sufficient lifting capacity, and adequate power sources. Hard Chrome Plating offers many attractive properties to the engineer.

What are the Benefits of Hard Chrome?

It is ultra Hard

850-100Hv (65-70Rc), harder than most industrial abrasives and steel counter faces. Unusually, it combines this hardness with a degree of toughness, so the deposit can stand up to high stress contact.

It gives superb substrate adhesion

Greater than 10,000 psi. Before plating, substrates are subjected to rigorous cleaning, so that the surface to be coated is completely free from contaminates. But the ultimate adhesion is achieved in the plating bath itself, with an initial reverse voltage etch which removes any residual surface contamination.

It can be applied to a wide variety of substrates

Covering a wide range of engineering or high alloyed steels (including stainless steels and cast irons), lightweight aluminum alloys or titanium alloys, copper alloys, brasses and bronzes, as well as nickel-based alloys.

It provides superb abrasion resistance

Hard Chrome PlatingEven under high contact stress. It gives a very low wear rate (at least 100 times better than hardened steels or electroless nickel) with abrasive products like textiles, paper and food stuffs. With thick deposits, it gives excellent wear resistance under high stress contact against sand, coal, cement, limestone, glass fibers, etc.

With abrasion being the most common and destructive wear process found in industry, hard chrome has the potential to solve many problems in pumps, valves, bearings, etc. throughout a wide range of industries; including pharmaceutical, chemical, oil and gas, textiles, printing, food, mining, and countless others.

The deposition temperature is low

And with de-embrittlement treatment has little effect on substrate properties. Provided that high strength steels are stress-relieved before plating and heat-treated again afterwards (usually for 3 to 12 hours at about 375*F), there will be few problems with hydrogen embrittlement.

Request more information on substrates including stainless steels, cast irons, lightweight aluminum alloys or titanium alloys, copper alloys, brasses, bronzes, nickel-based alloysIt can be applied to a wide range of geometry’s;

With careful attention to anode design and fixturing, chrome plating can be applied evenly to flat surfaces, to fine bores, even with large aspect ratios, to cylindrical like shafts or rollers, and to holes and close tolerance areas.

It gives ultra high metal-to-metal sliding wear resistance

Up to 100 times less wear than given by through-hardened, induction hardened, carburized or nitrided steels in dry sliding situations, and greatly superior to Electroless Nickel.

It has a bright, attractive finish

Stainless SteelIt responds very well to grinding and polishing, providing ideal surfaces for dealing with delicate products (like textiles and paper), for giving low friction, and for high precision parts like lathe beds.

It produces very low friction

Against polymers, carbons and graphite’s. This makes it ideal for textile applications or for seal faces, as well as for components like vane pumps. It is the perfect counterface for PM and other polymers which rely on establishing a transfer-film for their best performance.

The plating is stable and non-corrodible;

It’s suitable for most organic acids and gasses (not chlorine), excellent in hot oxidizing or reducing air, in commodities like beer, sugar, brine, coal gas, cyanides, fruit acids, molten glass, glue, milk, oils and fuels.