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Chrome plating over other bases than nickel

Q. Presently, we are doing chrome plating over nickel plated steel parts. Is it possible to coat chrome over anyother substances like zinc, copper,etc., other than nickel?

Thanks

Selvaraj R
Engineering - India
April 11, 2012

A. Hi, Selvraraj.

Chrome can be plated over nearly anything, but you will not get a decorative nickel-chrome plating look, nor will you get nickel-chrome corrosion resistance, without the nickel. Please explain your situation for a more interesting and useful discussion. Thanks.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 11, 2012

First of two simultaneous responses -- April 11, 2012

A. Hi,

Chrome plating on brass used by Mercedes Benz in the beginning and the chrome is shining, of course they polish the chrome after chrome plating operation.

Your question, Yes chrome can be applied on almost all materials without nickel.

Regards

Anders Sundman
4th Generation Surface Engineering
Consultant - Arvika,
Sweden

A. Hi Ted,
Thanks a lot !

We are developing a decorative part which has to have equivalent finish of Nickel+Chrome. The base part is steel. We planned to reduce the coating cost, by eliminating the use of Nickel. Hence this question was posted. Corrosion resistance would be ~50 hours in NSS. Finish: similar or closer to NiCr. Do you have any suggestions for this?

Thanking you once again!

Selvaraj R
- India
Second of two simultaneous responses -- April 12, 2012

A. Hi,Selvaraj.

Well, no lower cost finish will come close to matching nickel-chrome in appearance, but you could perhaps do chrome-look paint.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
April 12, 2012

A. Many Thanks for the inputs !!

Selvaraj R
- India
April 16, 2012

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