Chrome metal is metal that has had a thin layer of chromium applied via a process known as chrome plating. This is done to enhance the material’s properties in areas such as appearance, hardness and durability.
Why perform chrome plating?
Chrome plating is used for a variety of reasons, but the most common are to enhance the visual appeal of a metal product, for example, the bumpers and trim on classic cars, and to impart protective qualities to products that may otherwise be vulnerable to the effects of wear and corrosion.
What other methods are there for protecting metal components?
There are various ways in which metal components can be protected against wear and corrosion, including powder coating, painting, galvanising and electroless nickel plating.
Painting is the most cost effective option but delivers the lowest levels of protection. Powder coating involves spraying dry powder onto the component before curing it at extremely high temperatures to achieve a smooth and hard finish. Galvanising involves immersing the component in a molten zinc bath, while electroless nickel plating, carried out by companies such as //www.swmf.co.uk/surface-coatings/electroless-nickel-plating, uses the chemical reactions achieved by immersing the component in a nickel salt bath without an electric current to create a uniform coating.
Choosing between electroless nickel plating and chrome plating
Chrome plating delivers a superior shine and makes products easy to clean, but can be a costly process due to the need to use electricity.
Electroless nickel plating is a more cost effective process which also delivers superior wear resistance and corrosion protection in demanding environments.