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If you work with equipment with metal components, you know industrial plating is crucial for a wide range of metal machinery and parts. Plating is a process of applying a layer of metal to a base component or material, primarily for added protection. Plating increases the performance of the equipment, reduces direct contact with corrosive materials, decreases friction and increases conductivity.
While understanding the importance of industrial plating may be cut and dried, choosing the right kind of plating is more complicated. The plated component's intended use will influence your decision because of the different attributes that various usages and environments require. Let’s compare two common types of metal plating — hard chrome plating and electroless nickel plating. The nickel plating vs. chrome plating debate has been a hot topic in industrial communities, and we're going to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each plating method.
We'll assess hard chrome and electroless nickel platings in more detail later. First, let's consider some fundamental differences between the two plating methods:
Chrome plating is the process of applying a layer of chromium to a metal object. Hard chrome, often called industrial chrome, differs from decorative chrome in that it is primarily functional rather than aesthetic. Decorative chrome’s fundamental purpose is to enhance the visual appeal of an object by applying a thin chrome coating. Hard chrome plating is more durable and has a broader range of applications. It's also conducive for use in many environments.
The first step in the industrial chrome plating process is typically degreasing and cleaning the surface to prepare it for the chromium application. This surface is known as the substrate. This component may also need other types of pretreatment depending on its makeup. The plating professional will then lower it into an electrochemical bath until they achieve the desired thickness.
Hard chrome plating involves an electrolytic process that adds a layer of chromium to a metal component inside an electrolytic bath.
The chrome plating process typically includes these stages:
The chrome dipping and electrolytic process apply hard chrome plating evenly to most metal components, regardless of the shape, size or surface texture. The primary difference between hard chrome and decorative chrome plating is its final thickness. Hard chrome finishes are significantly thicker to improve their strength, wear resistance and corrosion resistance for industrial applications.
At the end of the hard chrome plating process, you have a smooth, functional, durable coating. Its attributes make it ideal for many different engineering applications.
The automotive industry frequently uses industrial hard chrome plating for parts that need to move while resisting wear, such as pistons and shock absorbers. In the aerospace field, landing gear components have hard chrome plating.
Often, machine tools that encounter rough use also have a hard chrome plating. These items might include drills, extrusion screws, taps and dies.
In the manufacturing sector, chrome plating shows up on gears and plastic molds, where it provides improved anti-stick and release capabilities.
Hard chrome can also restore old and worn parts or fix imperfections caused by mistakes during the manufacturing process.
The electroless nickel plating process uses a nickel-phosphorous alloy to coat a substrate, which protects it and improves its functionality. As the name suggests, electroless nickel plating doesn’t require an electric current as hard chrome plating usually does. Instead, after the substrate is clean, pretreated and activated, the nickel plating technique uses an autocatalytic chemical reaction to deposit the coating.
Hypophosphite is a commonly used agent during the electroless nickel plating process to reduce the nickel ions into a uniform coating. However, this reaction also causes varying amounts of phosphorous to persist in the plating. Electroless nickel plating can have low, medium or high levels of phosphorous. Low-phosphorous plating has approximately 2% to 5% phosphorous content. Medium has about 6% to 9%, and high has around 10% to 13%. The most typical kind is medium plating with around 8% phosphorus.
The amount of phosphorous in the plating can impact its attributes. Low-phosphorus plating provides the hardest coating, while medium plating is softer but plates the fastest. High-phosphorus plating is the softest but is the best for corrosion protection. Baking all coatings can increase hardness, but this will reduce corrosion protection.
Electroless nickel plating uses chemical reduction to deposit a nickel-alloy coating onto components. This process does not require the electric current used in electrolytic processes, nor does it need constant filtration to prevent surface impurities.
The application process of electroless nickel plating typically includes these stages:
Electroless nickel plating plays a role in a range of sectors, including the automotive, electronics and oil industries.
Car manufacturers use it to protect parts, such as pistons, fuel injectors and cylinders, from wear and corrosion. The aerospace industry uses it for similar reasons on valves, engine shafts and other components.
The oil and gas industry uses electroless nickel plating for equipment that will face harsh conditions underground or underwater. It’s a critical part of various pumps and pipe fittings.
It’s also common to find nickel coating in electronics such as hard drives and printed circuit boards. Like hard chrome plating, using it in molds can improve the release and anti-stick capabilities and restore worn or damaged parts. It’s also a common plating used on packaging and handling machinery.
Chrome and electroless nickel plating both work well for various substrate materials. Because the coating deposits onto all surfaces of the component uniformly in the plating vat, you can use both metals for irregularly shaped objects, including those with holes and recesses.
Though both options can cover uneven objects, electroless nickel will more quickly create a uniform coating. You may need to polish chrome away in some places to create a more even covering. Electroless nickel plating also tends to result in a layer with a more constant thickness, meaning you often end up needing less nickel than you would chromium to plate an irregular object.
You can use versatile chrome on many different kinds of metals, including stainless steel, copper and brass, as well as plastic. You can also use electroless nickel on various metals and plastics.
As its name implies, hard chrome is durable. This property helps it withstand the wear of industrial use, including severe mechanical contact. As plated, hard chrome Rockwell hardness is between 68 and 72.
Electroless nickel can also protect components from wear and tear that occurs over time, which helps parts last longer and saves companies money on maintenance and replacement costs. Electroless nickel has a hardness of 63 on the Rockwell C scale as plated.
If wear resistance is your priority, you may choose to go with hard chrome. However, both options can protect your equipment and parts from wear.
Hard chrome plating and electroless nickel plating tend to last a long time, even with consistent mechanical contact and other uses that might cause wear. Not only will plating protect the substrate, but using one of these long-lasting solutions will also save you money by cutting down on the frequency with which you need to plate your parts.
The electroless process gives the nickel in this plating application more durability. Nickel applied with a conventional electrolytic method would tarnish over a relatively short period. However, electroless nickel lasts for a much longer time without degrading, making it a more economical choice.
Along with wear resistance, one of metal plating's foremost benefits is corrosion resistance. Both hard chrome and electroless nickel can resist corrosion and protect the material from the degradation that would occur from coming into contact with its environment.
So does electroless nickel plating rust? Though both plating materials offer suitable corrosion resistance, studies show that electroless nickel is superior in this area, especially in blind holes. These holes are more challenging to plate and tend to be more susceptible to corrosion. Electroless nickel plating creates a more even coat in these hard-to-reach places, making it more effective at preventing corrosion in these areas.
Hard chrome plating does rust. Hard chrome contains tiny cracks that make it susceptible to corrosion over time. However, it has impressive corrosion resistance to several chemically corrosive sources such as sodium chloride, citric and nitric acids and copper sulfate. Moreover, the temperature affects hard chrome's resistance to rust. While both are good choices, you may want to go with electroless nickel if corrosion resistance is your priority.
The coefficient of friction refers to how easily one material can slide past another, as calculated by dividing the force needed to move the object along the other’s surface by the force that pushes them together. A low coefficient of friction means an object will slide easily, while a high one means the opposite. The coefficient depends on many factors, including the substrate, the thickness of the plating and environmental factors such as temperature.
Though calculating this number can be challenging, thanks to several tests in which these factors remained constant, we know that both hard chrome and electroless nickel have a lower static coefficient of friction than many other metals. However, hard chrome has a slightly lower coefficient than electroless nickel. It is also typically better at retaining oil, which makes movement easier. These qualities make hard chrome plating a popular choice for components that encounter a lot of friction, like pistons and hydraulic cylinders.
Electroless nickel against electroless nickel has a coefficient of 0.45. Chromium's static friction coefficient against chromium is 0.41. This means that hard chrome will likely slide better than electroless nickel, but the difference is not enough to be the deciding factor when choosing between the two materials.
When the ability to conduct electrical current is one of a metal's most desirable attributes, people typically go for copper. Because copper conducts electricity so readily, the International Electrotechnical Commission created a standard for commercially pure annealed copper’s conductivity, known as the International Annealed Copper Standard. To describe a metal's conductivity, you can express it as a percentage of the IACS.
On this scale, copper is 100%. Chromium is 13%, so it has 13% of copper's conductivity. For comparison, gold is around 73%, and pure silver is around 105%. Electroless nickel plating electrical conductivity is 2.2%. People don't typically use hard chrome and electroless nickel plating for their electrical conductivity attributes. They are conductive, but not as much as some other metals.
Hard chrome plating is generally more expensive than electroless nickel plating. One of the key determining factors is that hard chrome plating is in high demand because of its appearance. Also, hard chrome plating uses an electrolytic process, requiring electricity at all levels. However, the overall cost of the hard chrome might be beneficial in terms of durability over long periods. Hard chrome wears less and better suits high-friction conditions.
On the other hand, electroless nickel plating is more resistant to corrosion, meaning less maintenance and lower costs. But the difference is not significant, and both hard chrome and electroless nickel require occasional maintenance. Electroless nickel's price makes it more attractive for industry settings.
Though appearance is not usually the primary concern in industrial uses, it’s an added benefit of choosing either hard chrome plating or electroless nickel plating. Chrome provides a shiny, smooth and modern look. Its style is part of what made it so popular.
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Nickel is another classic look you can see in most home fixtures. Unlike more conventional nickel, electroless nickel plating's yellowish hue fades over time. Additionally, electroless plating provides a glossier finish than the electrolytic alternative.
The plating process is vital in protecting the underlying metal. However, it's common to encounter problems before or after. Here are the most common problems for hard chrome and electroless nickel plating:
Choosing between hard chrome plating and electroless nickel plating can be a tricky decision. Both are useful, but the right option for you depends on how you plan to use the plated component. Here’s what you should consider when weighing your options.
Once you’ve analyzed your needs for your plated component, you can determine whether hard chrome plating is the right choice for you. Hard chrome plating has the following attributes and benefits:
Hard chrome is a versatile and highly functional plating material. However, in some situations, electroless nickel would be the better choice. Here’s when you should go for electroless nickel.
You might often find yourself in situations where you want to combine hard chrome's capabilities with electroless nickel.
The good news is that both materials are excellent in many of the same areas, even if one may have a slight edge. They’re resistant to wear and corrosion, support motion, conduct electricity and are ideal for use on irregularly shaped objects. Either way, you get a high-quality plating material. For this reason, you might sometimes see components with plating that combines chrome and electroless nickel.
At Hard Chrome Specialists, we’ve been helping customers for over 20 years with projects of all sizes. We pride ourselves on our friendly, honest service, quick turnaround and high-quality results. For more information about what we do or for help finding the plating solution that’s right for you, fill out this easy-to-use contact form.
To understand the future, one should start with an understanding of history and the technology involved.
Eric Svenson Sr.The element chromium was discovered in 1797 and isolated in 1798. The first known chromium electrodeposit was achieved in 1855 by German scientist Dr. Geuther. In 1894 the first U.S. patent for chromium plating was granted to Emile Placet and Joseph Bonnet of Paris, France, with U.S. Patent #526114.
Dr. George Sargent improved the process in 1914 and established the standard 100:1 solution, which is still used today and known as the Sargent bath or the standard bath. In 1924 the process was further developed by Colin Fink and Charles Eldridge at Columbia University.
Hard chrome plating was commercialized in 1924 with the establishment of the Chemical Treatment Company in New York and the Chromium Products Corporation in New Jersey. A patent infringement suit caused the merger of these two companies forming the Chromium Corporation of America, which later operated a third chrome plating plant in Waterbury, Connecticut.
By 1926 chrome plated became a buzzword for a hard, wear-resistant, and durable finish that also offered improved corrosion protection. The industry grew rapidly from these initial companies, and soon afterward, other hard chrome job shops were operating in most large cities across America.
The industry continued to expand through the 1940s and 1950s. By 1960 there were literally thousands of hard chrome OEMs and job shops; some of the OEMs were large installations, as were a few of the job shops. Many job shops, however, were smaller family-based companies with only 2-10 employees.
Hexavalent hard chrome quickly developed into a widely used industrial process. The primary reason is the improved surface properties it provides to metallic parts and components. Among others, this includes surface hardness, lubricity, wearability, and corrosion resistance.
No other coating can provide these features as easily and inexpensively as hard chrome does. It found wide usage in industries like agriculture, aircraft, automotive, chemical, electrical, engines, fluid power, food processing, mining, optical, ordnance, paper, printing, railroad, textile, tooling, and even dies and molds. It is also widely used in weapon systems and aerospace applications. In short, it is vital to America's industry, economy, security, defense, and even Her sovereignty.
Our country would be crippled and our economy devastated without the properties that hexavalent hard chrome plating provides.
Up until the mid-1960, most hard chrome platers were unaware of the damage that chromic acid had on the environment. This was not isolated to the chrome platers because all industrial trades suffered the same ignorance regarding the negative effects of the chemicals they used.
Many chrome plating operations, especially the smaller ones, could not afford the equipment required to meet the newer regulations.
Because of this, chrome tanks were ventilated directly outside, and chrome baths were frequently dumped into city sanitary sewers because the cities had waste treatment abilities.
The EPA was established in 1970, and OSHA in 1971 with mandates to improve and protect America's environment and workers. This resulted in regulations limiting the amount of chemicals that could be discharged or the workers exposed to. Fortunately, this had the effect of educating the industry about these dangers. Plating shops then installed waste treatment systems for their liquid waste products and air scrubbers for their ventilation systems.
Over time the regulations for liquid and air discharges were tightened to where they currently are today. Many chrome plating operations, especially the smaller ones, could not afford the equipment required to meet the newer regulations. They simply decided to cease operation and go out of business. A number of OEM captive operations also closed their chrome shops over excessive fears about environmental liabilities.
By 1995 the tightened regulations caused a 50% reduction in the number of hard chrome operations in the United States. However, this proved beneficial for the shops that survived as they were able to increase profits.
A reduction of that magnitude doesn't appear to satisfy the environmental appetite as it continues and has even become magnified. We need regulations to control the release of hazardous chemicals, but much of the attack on hexavalent chrome is unjustified. An example is the 'potential' for one cancer death per million as justification. Amazingly it was never proven that exposure to chromic acid at normal safe working levels actually causes cancer.
The recent attempts to ban hexavalent chrome appear like it is being coordinated by some outside invisible force. California's Air Resources Board (CARB) is trying to ban hexavalent hard chrome by January 1, 2039. The European Union's REACH program voted to ban the use of chromic acid and other hexavalent chrome chemicals for most manufacturing processes in the EU by September 21, 2024. It isn't much of a stretch that the Federal EPA might also want to take further draconian steps against this essential industry.
They could not have chosen a worse chemical to further restrict or ban because hard chrome plating is so vital to our industry and economy. Other hexavalent chromium chemicals are used in many critical applications as well. This is a shame, as chrome has many unique properties that can't be duplicated by any other process.
Our lifestyles and America's prosperity, safety, and security are not a birthright. These are the dividends of prior hard work, unbiased research, freedom of speech, and advancement by merit. A degraded system results when these basic fundamentals are tampered with. Claims that hexavalent chrome is too dangerous to work with is an example of such tampering. In sum, environmentalists are ignoring the fact that hexavalent chrome plating can be done safely and with complete environmental protection. Instead, they prefer to restrict its use or ban it altogether while insisting that inferior replacement processes, like trivalent chrome, are a suitable replacement. Their claims are absurd, and their 'solution' will destroy a very viable and necessary industry.
Hexavalent chromium (chromic acid) is actually quite benign. Of course, it's hazardous, but so is every other industrial chemical. In terms of hazard, chromic acid is realistically a 2 on a scale of 1-10. Granted, we shouldn't inhale chrome fumes or pour them down the drain. But the issue of protecting the environment and our employees was solved a long time ago. That's what ventilation and Zero Discharge systems are for. They do an excellent job of keeping everything safe and legal.
The real problem behind the attack on hexavalent hard chrome is more political than environmental.
Over three generations have worked with hard chrome their entire lives, and we don't know of a single case where anyone died of cancer because of it.
Ironically, the body needs chrome to live, and without it, we would die from a disease similar to diabetes. Chromium is needed for proper metabolism, maintaining low triglyceride and cholesterol levels, keeping blood pressure in check, preventing depression, and even good eyesight. Witness the fact that many multivitamins now contain a small amount of chromium.
The ironic part is our bodies magically convert hexavalent chrome into the trivalent form without doing much damage unless introduced in large doses. Over three generations have worked with hard chrome their entire lives, and we don't know of a single case where anyone died of cancer because of it.
The research was started around 1985 to find a substitute for hard chrome. This was fueled by the false belief that chrome is bad and, therefore, must be replaced with something else. Some of this research was done with federal government-funded grants. Several potential replacements were later developed, including:
None of these replacements can replace hexavalent hard chrome on all part types, sizes, and applications. Each is a specialized coating with a rather narrow process window that has issues such as:
The Ni/SiC composite nickel process is actually the best choice if a replacement process is eventually required. Its wear life and wearability are about the same as hard chrome; it plates 10 times faster and has excellent throwing power without fuming because of its near 100% efficiency. This process, like hard chrome, is also easy to zero discharge. Its only downside is the higher CAPEX and OPEX costs and the number of tanks required.
While hard chrome may be over-engineered for some applications, it is a terrific coating for any surface where hardness and wear resistance are needed. This is especially true if the ease of application and cost is any concern.
The very reason that hard chrome gained widespread use so quickly is due to its utility, versatility, ease of control, and low cost. Hard chrome is commonly used to plate both large and small parts individually or in high volumes, frequently with great precision. Hard chrome has many attributes that cannot be achieved by any other process. It is relatively inexpensive, and it generates zero waste products when properly applied.
It is the writer's opinion that the federal government will not ultimately ban hexavalent chrome because of its requirement for items like aircraft landing gears and weapon systems. In addition, most industries will not accept a replacement coating because hexavalent hard chrome has proven superior for almost 100 years. Any other process is apt to degrade performance across a multitude of industries. The regulators will eventually realize these facts and withdraw their attack. The EPA could, however, further tighten the air and water discharge limits. This won't matter to those forward-looking operations that upgraded to sustainable processing as their numbers are already at zero, and the authorities cannot regulate below this.
One thing that may occur, however, is further consolidation in the hard chrome plating industry. Some of the larger operations may acquire smaller shops, and some OEMs may acquire chrome operations to enhance their manufacturing abilities.
Like it or not, all platers are in this fight together.
The American hard chrome platers are encouraged to be steadfast, to maintain and even improve their operations during these difficult times. The plating operations that upgrade their equipment and processes using the sustainable approach can easily demonstrate their safe application with zero emissions. You can't get any better than zero, while most replacement coatings are known as waste generators.
We foresee a very bright future ahead for hard chrome operations. Both job and captive shops will prosper with improved methods and upgraded equipment. The shops that survive this onslaught will be in a unique position to capitalize on increased market share and profits.
Chrome plating has been our passion and our livelihood for generations. It's how we live, how we feed and support our families. It is an important skilled trade that we are proud to pass on to future generations.
Like it or not, all platers are in this fight together. If the environmental extremists want to ban hexavalent chrome and destroy our industry, they can also do it to nickel, copper, or any other metal you choose to plate.
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