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Nickel vs. Chromic Acid Plating

Looking for comparisons of nickel plating and chromic acid plating. Which is less expensive overall -- cost of materials, equipment, environmental compliance, etc.

Steve Mallett
- Columbus, Ohio
2001

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nickel plating is less expensive. Forgive me for asking but: "What's that got to do with anything?". I guess I'm having a hard time picturing an application where either would be suitable and it would be a matter of indifference which one you applied.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2001

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You didn't say what kind of Nickel or What kind of Chrome and what your requirements are so I'm going to take a different path.

Sometimes when comparing Hard Chrome and Electroless Nickel with a bake for hardness, you can get Hi phos E/N to almost the hardness of Hard Chrome and (at least at My shop) it is still considerably cheaper than H/C. With the Electroless Nickel your limited to thickness. If you are in fact considering H/C to E/N also remember that most H/C should be ground after plating, and that E/N both have a limited life which the environmental impact of each deposit.

Chris Snyder
plater - Charlotte, North Carolina
2001