Chrome-like Powder Coating

A. I saw fairly good metallic powder coats introduced at Powder Coating 98 and expect to see even better ones as time goes be. But even extrapolating optimistically from what I've seen, I'd be shocked if any metallic powder coat can actually fool people into believing that it's chrome plating (although vacuum metallizing the surface with aluminum and then applying a clear powder coating just might).

But why would we put a cheap and questionable imitation of chrome plating on a BMW and the real stuff it on a Hyundai and old beaters? What concept am I missing here?

A. Hello, Richard. The issue of D-I-Y chroming has been beaten to death a dozen times on this site, and patience with the search engine will lead you to it, but you might want to start with our "Introduction to Chrome Plating". While there are no laws prohibiting you from machining, welding, and powder coating to my knowledge, there are laws prohibiting you from chrome plating except under very restricted circumstances because chrome plating requires hexavalent chromium (the stuff of Erin Brockovich [affil link to Amazon]), which is toxic and carcinogenic and requires medical monitoring of the chrome level in your bloodstream, and it is among the most notorious destroyers of our water supply so many areas have statutes prohibiting it, and others have de facto bans

1. To my knowledge brush plating of chrome is not possible.

2. Nothing sticks very well to chrome, so don't do it that way. Put the chrome where you want the chrome and the powder where you want the powder, or put a resistant powder where you want it first and then chrome plate and the powder coating will act as a mask so you won't get chrome plating on the powder.
3. Google "hobby plating kits".

I suggest that you join the American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society (www.nasf.org) if you want to get involved in plating. Good luck.

A. It should be typical to think of powder coating as a single step process. The powders have the gloss built into them, and most standard colors you can get anywhere up to a 95+ on a 65 degree glossmeter, particularly paints that are expected to be glossy like highly cosmetic and metal imitating colors. Rohm&Haas (formerly Morton)probably has the longest history of formulating chrome powder, you might want to check their website.

A. Hi Stacy,
The painters just apply the chrome powder like any other powder, they can't manipulate the paint. It is the manufacturer of the paint that makes it a chrome and they are secretive about their formulations.

A. Dear Stacy,

The term "chrome finish" when applied to powder coating depends upon who you talk to. The powder supplier who will offer a bright aluminium based powder or the powder coating applicator who offers deposited metal chrome followed by a protective clear coat of powder.
Chrome powder: Who offers the best chrome powder is still a talking point between various powder applicators around the world. However, we all know that even with the best intentions one has to use one's imagination to agree that it is a good match for a chrome finish. Chrome metal deposition uses two different methods to deposit a chrome effect onto the substrate, i.e., plating and vacuum metallization. A good place to start to understand the process of vacuum metallization would be a visit to www.muellercorp.com. A recent patent explained that vacuum deposition of a chrome finish is comprised of four stages: a cleaning or preparation stage, application of an Epoxy powder base coat to ensure adhesion of the metal coatings. A two part metal coating applied via a PVD process, consisting of a Ni/Cr base and a Cr layer. To complete the process an exterior grade powder i.e. acrylic or polyester is applied as a protection against wear and tear.

For an excellent explanation of the plating process visit www.calchrome.com/process.php.

Finally, a dialogue (letter 29622 "Nickel/Chrome Plating Alternatives") between the editor Mr. Ted Mooney and Angeliki Skafida of Athens, Greece on this very subject would also be a very good source of information.

A. Hi Stacy
I m working with that process. Actually we have some Aluminium parts to powder coat so in that process we do chromatising after degreasing and then followed by semi-gloss auto silver powder coating. Now parts are sent to oven for 12 - 15 minutes at 200 °C.