Chrome Parts
Since its discovery, chrome has been one of the most popular choices for metallic parts in many different applications.
Chrome is a very hard and lustrous metallic element, which is commonly utilized for its resistance to tarnishing and corrosion, its ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions, and its bright, lustrous shine.
As many people already know, the most common application for chrome is in the automotive industry, where it is used to plate parts and accessories.
Stainless steel was invented when it was discovered that ordinary steel could be made harder and more corrosion-resistant by combining it with chromium.
It was later realized, in the 1920s, that stainless steel could be further improved by applying a thin layer of pure chrome to its surface via electroplating; after this development, use of chrome in the automotive industry skyrocketed.
It was always more popular in the United States than in Europe, as Americans tended to appreciate the brilliant shine of chrome parts more than Europeans seemed to, but chrome is now used almost universally on most automotive accessories, and particularly on motorcycles.
For automotive applications it is often plated over steel, stainless steel, and ABS plastics.
Another benefit of chrome is that it is very easy to clean, and maintains its high luster with a minimum amount of care. These characteristics are, of course, part of the reason for its many applications in the automotive industry, but they have also made chrome a popular material for kitchen and home fixtures, as well as a variety of other decorative and functional applications.
For these purposes, it is often applied over brass, aluminum, copper, or stainless steel.
No matter what the application, chrome plating always involves a strike layer of nickel underneath. The nickel layer is many times thicker than the chrome, and provides much of the chrome finish's hardness and reflectivity. High-quality chrome plating requires more or thicker layers of nickel under the chrome.
Chrome is a very hard and lustrous metallic element, which is commonly utilized for its resistance to tarnishing and corrosion, its ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions, and its bright, lustrous shine.
As many people already know, the most common application for chrome is in the automotive industry, where it is used to plate parts and accessories.
Stainless steel was invented when it was discovered that ordinary steel could be made harder and more corrosion-resistant by combining it with chromium.
It was later realized, in the 1920s, that stainless steel could be further improved by applying a thin layer of pure chrome to its surface via electroplating; after this development, use of chrome in the automotive industry skyrocketed.
It was always more popular in the United States than in Europe, as Americans tended to appreciate the brilliant shine of chrome parts more than Europeans seemed to, but chrome is now used almost universally on most automotive accessories, and particularly on motorcycles.
For automotive applications it is often plated over steel, stainless steel, and ABS plastics.
Another benefit of chrome is that it is very easy to clean, and maintains its high luster with a minimum amount of care. These characteristics are, of course, part of the reason for its many applications in the automotive industry, but they have also made chrome a popular material for kitchen and home fixtures, as well as a variety of other decorative and functional applications.
For these purposes, it is often applied over brass, aluminum, copper, or stainless steel.
No matter what the application, chrome plating always involves a strike layer of nickel underneath. The nickel layer is many times thicker than the chrome, and provides much of the chrome finish's hardness and reflectivity. High-quality chrome plating requires more or thicker layers of nickel under the chrome.