Chrome plating

Chromium plating is an electrolytic coating process that deposits metallic chromium on the surfaces to be treated, giving them the properties of this metal. This well-known treatment is used for two main applications: decorative chromium plating and hard chromium plating, where the layer deposited differs essentially only in thickness.

Decorative chromium plating is carried out on surfaces that are generally pre-coated with a layer of nickel (or possibly a combination of copper and nickel layers), the main aim of which is to give the coating the shiny characteristics of chrome. The metal's resistance to tarnishing, combined with its hardness, means that this micrometer-sized decorative layer gives a shiny appearance that can be maintained for many years. The shiny chromes on cars of yesteryear (still visible today) and motorcycles of today are testimony to this.

Hard chromium plating differs from hard chromium plating in that it is thicker (from a few micrometers to a few tenths of a millimeter). This coating gives the material on which it is applied a good coefficient of friction and ensures good wear and corrosion resistance. It is highly visible, for example, on the cylinders of mechanical equipment (lifting gear, public works machinery, etc.). This type of treatment is the coating of choice in the mechanical sector for rotating or translating parts that need to resist wear and have good friction qualities, and for areas where adhesion could be a handicap (plastics processing, rolling mill rolls...).