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Possible to Chrome Plate ABS Parts that have been thermal sprayed with aluminum?

 

Could you please tell me if it's possible to chrome an ABS plastic part that was coated aluminum or copper using a thermal spraying (metallizing) process. The thickness of the aluminum skin is almost 1/16th on an inch.

I would appreciate your advice.

Basel Haider
- Bahrain

The thermal spray would have to be a low or very low temp application. Typically this would have a great amount of oxides and pits, which would make a good chrome job difficult to impossible. The TAFA dual wire arc system puts on a very laminar coating with very very few pits and oxides. This may or may not work.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida

It's possible to chrome plate virttually anything.

But without further parameters it's nearly impossible to answer implied questions about appearance, adhesion, durability, & practicality. It's hard to plate onto aluminum in the best case because it requires an immersion/replacement non-electrolytic plating from a zincate bath first ... and when instead of using electricity to control the electron flow, you let it do what it will, go where it will, you've ceded a lot of your power over the results; James Watts sounds right that it's unlikely that you'll get get some results.

Are you interested in hard chrome plating for engineering purposes or nickel-chrome for decorative purposes.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey