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.
Hard Chrome Applications
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.
Environmental Concerns
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.
Chrome's Undeserved Reputation
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.
How Bad is Chrome?
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.
Substitute Coatings
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:
- Composite electroplated nickel coatings like Ni/SiC, Ni/Diamond, etc.
- Various thermal spray and HVOC alloys
- Electroplated nickel-tungsten-boron coatings
- Various electroless nickel alloys
- Vacuum deposition (both physical and chemical vapor)
- Trivalent hard chrome processes
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:
- Higher equipment investment required
- Higher materials costing
- Poor wearability
- Reduced ductility
- Poor adhesion issues
- Shorter service life
- Undesirable surface properties
- Inconsistencies in quality
- Difficulties with process control
- Excessive application temperatures
- Inability to uniformly coat complex shapes
- Lower corrosion resistance
- Greater environmental and worker safety issues
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.
Chrome's Good Points
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.
What the Future Holds
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.
Conclusion
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.
Contact the author at PlatingResources@yahoo.com with any comments or questions on this article. Visit www.Plating.com
