Chrome Plating – Pretty and Practical
Chrome plating is popular primarily because of its decorative uses. In fact, most homes and even buildings in the country and across the globe make use of furniture and decorations that are chrome plated. In reality, however, this electroplating method is used not only to beautify a metal object, but also to improve the hardness of its surface, make it easier to clean, and offer corrosion resistance quality. This method, which is often called or known as chrome, entails applying a layer of chromium onto an object that is made of steel, brass, aluminum and copper.
There are many types of chrome plating. However, the type recognized by many is known as hard chrome plating. This chrome electroplating method involves heavy coating of chrome onto the object. The main purposes of this style of electroplating include making the object more resistant to wear and tear and improving its oil retention. Things that undergo hard chrome electroplating include rollers, mold surfaces, gun bores, hydraulic cylinder rods, thread guides, piston rings, and many others. Hard chrome, as it is popularly known, does not mean that the chromium material that is applied to the object is harder. This simply means that the coating used on an object is thick enough such that hardness measurement can be used on it. One thing that you need to remember about this particular type of chrome electroplating is that it is not used for decorative purposes because objects that have this coating do not have any metallic luster.
Another type of chrome plating is called decorative chrome plating, which is also known as nickel chrome plating. The reason why this is called as such is due to the fact that objects had to undergo nickel plating first before it gets a thin coating of chrome. In some cases, the object even undergoes copper plating before having a coat of nickel and chrome plating. Nickel plating is important because it makes the object corrosion resistant, smoother, and more reflective. The thin chrome electroplating, on the other hand, is only used to protect the nickel plating. Thus, the decorative qualities of the object are usually due to the nickel.
When choosing the type of chrome plating, it is important that you consider the main purpose of the object. If you want it strong and you do not intend to use it as a decoration, then what you need is hard chrome plating. If you want your metallic vase or plate to look beautiful in your bedroom or living room, decorative chrome plating is what you need.
