48019

Hard chromium on brass  

March 1, 2008

I am looking for main difference(s) between hard chromium plating process on steel and on brass.

Kourosh Shirani
I am a researcher - Iran

Your question is very vague, Kourosh; please say what you are involved in and what motivates the question, then we may be able to understand it. But I would say that the biggest difference is probably thickness; if you apply chromium to hardened steel it can be reasonably thin, whereas if you are putting it on brass it must be quite thick before it can achieve anything useful.

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Another basic difference is that you should not reverse etch the brass in your plating chrome tank because it will become contaminated with copper which causes problems. Clean it thoroughly to a water break free surface, dip it in 20% sulfuric and plate on forward polarity. Enter the bath live.

Guillermo Marrufo
Monterrey, NL, Mexico

Hi , do you mean the pre treatment proccesses for brass and steel?

For steel , pumice clean , waterbreak test , slphuric etch , chrome etch , then live into chrome vat and plate as required ,

For brass pumice clean waterbreak test , and pre treat as the guy said in the message above - 20% sulphuric .

Hope this helps .

J Smith
- Essex, England