Hexavalent versus Trivalent Hard chrome Plating

About This Webinar
Due to the hazardous nature of the chemistry used in traditional hard chrome plating, hexavalent chrome has been subject to enormous pressure over the last decade from the environmental protection lobby to restrict or ban the process. When considering the severity of the hazards associated with chemistry used, one can be forgiven for suggesting that it’s time to switch to alternative viable options.
Typical hexavalent processes can consist of:
• Chromium trioxide (chromic acid): carcinogenic, poisonous, corrosive, oxidizing, hazardous to the environment
• Lead: carcinogenic, hazardous to the environment
• Lead oxide: oxidizing, carcinogenic, corrosive
• Lead chromate: carcinogenic, hazardous to the environment
• Sulfuric acid: corrosive
• Fume suppressants: carcinogenic, hazardous to the environment
So, it’s with no surprise that the EU is seriously considering introducing new legislation to ban/restrict hexavalent hard chrome processes within four years from now.
In keeping with our established traditions of being market leader in hard chrome plating innovation (HEEF® and DynaChrome®), Atotech has been very pro-active to develop an alternative process. We’re thus very proud to announce that we have achieved another “first” by introducing our BluCr® process to the market. BluCr® is the very first commercial trivalent chromium based functional chrome plating process in the market place.
In this webinar, we aim to present a comparison between the trivalent chrome based BluCr® against our HEEF® 25 which has been the market leader as far as functional hard chrome plating is concerned for the past 30 years.
Agenda
Chromium(VI) ban: Status quo and developments in regional and global legislatio
Chemistry differences between hexavalent and trivalent processes
Deposit structure
Comparison of deposit properties
Process operation (electrolyte operating parameters and equipment)

[@ericsvenson7664]

Thank you for the excellent presentation. I am setting up a new operation for hard chrome and am seriously considering the Blu-Cr trivalent process for its environmental benefits. Can you please provide the following costing estimations:
1) The chemical and additive cost to deposit 9,047,800 ampere hours per year.
2) The equipment investment for a new complete system to plate 0.002"/side of Cr on 40 rods per day (8 hour shift) that measure 2" diameter x 72" long, typical steel alloy base metal of newly manufactured parts.
Please use India equipment and costing; I can adjust it accordingly.
Thank you,

[@Time2Act]

Hello AtoTech - I appreciate your comparative work on Hexavalent Chrome vs Trivalent Chrome.

[@Everyday-metallurgy]

Great presentation. I have been talking to people from laser deposition who claim that they have a substitution method and furthermore I had an interesting talk with Karen Pantleon from The Technical University of Denmark who is working on harmless coatings based on electro plated Iron Carbides. When do you think a real substitution of hexavalent hard chrome will be on the market?
I have inserted links to the references here:
Laser deposition with Arkadi Zikin from Oerlikon: th-cam.com/video/72t1m-Hd3e0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yvVipdq2KMfH2Uc8
Electro plating of Iron Carbides with Karen Pantleon from DTU: th-cam.com/video/Zmq64WxuowY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=D7pBLJQ0CGc06AY1