Green Process for Functional Trivalent Chromium Electroplating

Faraday will discuss recent work on the development of a functional chromium plating process from a trivalent-based electrolyte to replace hexavalent chromium plating. Commonly used, hexavalent chromium plating has produced hard, durable coatings with excellent wear and corrosion resistance properties; however, it has come under scrutiny due to the toxic nature of the bath and workers’ health concerns. Faraday has demonstrated chrome coatings prepared using the FARADAYIC® Process using a trivalent chromium electrolyte has equivalent functional properties to the coatings produced with hexavalent chromium electrolyte; these include: 1) plating rate, 2) Knoop hardness, 3) current efficiency, 4) hydrogen embrittlement behavior, 5) adhesion, 6) corrosion resistance, 7) porosity, 8) thickness, 9) wear resistance and 10) no hexavalent chromium formation over after 1400 A-hr processing. This paper will discuss the demonstration and development of a FARADAYIC® Chromium Electrodeposition process for hard to access, complex shapes, such as the interior of cylindrical shafts.