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Letter 14058
Steel, Aluminum, Plastic Chroming
I am beginning a study on automotive exterior parts like wheels
and bumpers. Can someone explain the differences between chroming
steel, aluminum, and plastic. What are the major process steps for
the three and what differentiates them. Many thanks for any help.
David Matthews
- Chicago, IL, USA
Once you have the first layer of electroplating on the item,
nothing substantially distinguishes the process for nickel-chroming
steel from the process for aluminum from the process for plastic.
There are many letters on this site that cover the pretreatment and
first layer of plating on these three substrates. Which ones are most
appropriate for you to review depends on whether you are a high
schooler, a metallurgy major in a university, a co-op student at an
automobile manufacturer, etc. Please talk in forthright fashion
instead of saying you are "beginning a study" and I may be able to
help you further :-)

Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com Inc. - Brick,
NJ
Dear Reader, please --
- Post a
question on a different subject.
-
- Answer or follow-up on this subject (in non-commercial
fashion).
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