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Pros and Cons of Trivalent chrome plating

I am aware about the toxic nature of hexavalent chrome plating and its ill effects. Is there an replacement? How about trivalent chrome plating. Can anyone help me about the nature of bath composition? Where are these types of plating carried out?

Pintu B
student - Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2004

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Actually the chromium plating is metal of oxidation state zero and is not toxic, regardless of which solution it was plated from. The process of applying the chrome plating may, however, involve hexavalent chromic acid, and that is a toxic material that needs to be properly managed to avoid air, water, or land pollution and to prevent exposure of personnel to it. It was widely mismanaged for decades, so it is understandable that people would be afraid of it.

Plating from a trivalent chromium bath is one alternative process and there are several different proprietary approaches. Each of the major international plating suppliers offers their own proprietary trivalent chromium plating process. I do not think there is any published generic approach for trivalent chromium plating. Trivalent chromium plating is done on a wide variety of parts that require very thin chromium or decorative chromium plate; I have seen it done on circular saw blades, and hand tools, and know it to be done on many other parts.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2003