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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, Illinois, 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.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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