Copper flashing under hard chrome plating - good idea?

A. I haven't heard of doing this, but I suppose it will reveal when the chrome is worn though, as advertised. Hard chrome can adhere well to copper as long as it's done right.

A. If the substrate is hardened and the part is going to be subject to severe friction and sliding wear, the underlying copper lacks enough hardness to provide adequate support to the hard chrome. Scratch resistance will be reduced. For the mentioned purpose, I personally don't think it's a good idea. Alternatively, worn through chrome can be detected by swabbing the surface with a weak mixture of copper sulphate ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] and sulfuric acid. Immersion copper deposit will proceed on areas where chrome has gone.

A. Hello Amy Harmon Krtanjek, we want to point out that we have patented this process of wear indication under hard chrome platings.

Best regards,

Hi Michael. Could you please give us the patent number so people can see what is and isn't covered? Thanks.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2004

A. In oil tool shafts we used both electroless nickel and copper under hard chrome. Both held good thru tests we rough cut hard chrome with grinding wheel to see if copper would hold up in between to harden surfaces and both held up as good as hard chrome directly 4340 HT. The reason for the test was that we needed a a coating between to stop the undermining of the hard chrome and of course copper was easier to activate than electroless nickel.