Mark Schario is vice president of Plating Process Systems, Inc., Mentor, OH, a supplier of metal finishing processes and associated products. He can be reached at 440.951.9667 or marks@platingprocess.com.
Tests conducted by ASTM have shown that trivalent chromium deposits perform better than standard hexavalent chromium deposits, better than microcracked hexavalent chromium deposits and as good as microporous hexavalent chromium deposits. The field performance of trivalent chromium has confirmed these results. With the recent move away from hexavalent chromium due to employee safety concerns and environmental regulations, trivalent chromium deserves a closer look as a decorative plating option.