Chemical Analysis of Hard Chrome Plating Baths
Lab Analysis
ChromeTech routinely performs Chemical Analysis of hard chrome plating baths. This service is offered for both our own plating system customers, and for job shops and captive shops. Most do not have their own plating labs, but the ones that do use us as an outside lab to verify results from their own labs.Our lab equipment, procedures and analysis reports are geared specifically for hard chromium plating baths. This often yields more accurate results than environmental labs who are used to analyzing dilute solutions with low concentrations.
Standard and fluoride analyses are recommended monthly or biweekly. Most of our customers that do not have their own labs send samples for "standard analysis" on a monthly basis, although some prefer to send every two weeks. Those that have their own in-house labs, or that utilize other outside labs, send us samples less frequently, perhaps every two or three months.. Metals and organic contamination analyses are recommended quarterly.
Standard Bath Analysis
Our Standard Analysis consists of four items:- Chromic acid concentration, expressed as oz/gal of CrO3
- Trivalent chromium concentration, expressed as percentage of chromic acid concentration
- Sulfate concentration, expressed as oz/gal
- Specific gravity, expressed as degrees of Baume
- Fluoride concentration, expressed as ppm
- Iron concentration, expressed as g/L
- Copper concentration, expressed as g/L
- Aluminum concentration, expressed as g/L
- Zinc concentration, expressed as g/L
- Nickel concentration, expressed as g/L
Recommendations
We don't just report the condition of your hard chrome bath, we offer suggestions for improving it. For example, we quantify chemical additions:- Pounds of chromium trioxide bead or flake to add
- Milliliters or fluid ounces of sulfuric acid to add