No passwords, no registration, no paywalls, no popups, no AI

As an Amazon Associate & eBay Partner we earn from affil links

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

Search our quarter-million Q&As

Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989

-----

Procedure for detection of chromic acid from a spot

I have discovered a stain at the tip of a chrome plated spout. Surface analysis revealed a trace amount of silicon but a substantial amount of chrome. I was wondering if there is a way to determine if this spot consists of chromic acid?

stephanie rivera
- North Olmsted, Ohio
1999

Chromic acid is soluble in water, Stephanie, in fact it is extremely soluble (which is why the waste from poorly managed chromium plating plants can do such a bang-up job of leaching into the ground and contaminating aquifers). Which is to say that if it were chromic acid, it should have rinsed right off.

In general elemental analysis doesn't work for plating defects because you can't see the forest for the trees. An experienced plater can probably tell you the cause of the defect from a look. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
1999

Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: