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Chromium defect after induction hardening

After induction hardening of rod steel and grinding we cannot deposit the chromium coating ; It seems that we see the "inductor". This defect appears after acid attack before chromium plating. Somebody know this problem? Could you help me ?

Michel Cottar
industrialist - Paris, France
2004

Hardened steel is typically more difficult to plate than annealed stock, but not impossible. You have not specified your process or the base material or a good definition of the problem. Virtually no one can do anything but take wild stabs in the dark to help you. As has been stated many times at this site, the quality of help received is strongly related to the quality of the question.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004

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2004

My credentials. I am an Induction Heating Engineer, my wife is the managing Director of an electro plating company. I have seen a problem like this in the far east with shock absorber shafts. Analysis by my wife's company indicated that the problem was caused by hydrogen being given off during plating making pin holes in both the nickel and the chrome, and in extreme cases removing flakes of plating.

Possible cures.

1. use de-hydrogenated steel to make component.

2. Soak at 120 degrees C after hardening and before plating to remove hydrogen from steel. Time soaking will depend on size of component.

John Grove
- UK