Chromium coatings properties

Chromium is a hard metal with excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance. Its properties are summarized in Table 6.3. Chromium coatings are usually produced by electroplating or sputtering, but CVD is being investigated for several applications. 

The system of a copper layer, a nickel layer (see Sect. 5.5.4.2), and an additional chromium coating (see Sect. 5.5.4.3) is one of the classical layer combinations for an effective corrosion protection. The nobility of each successive layer in the stack decreases. With possible variations in layer thickness, layer properties such as sulfur content (in the case of nickel layers), heat treatment, and so on, any protection can be obtained, either in a reductive (cities, industrial complexes), or in an oxidative atmosphere (land and sea atmosphere). 

Chromium carbide is important in powder preparations designed for thermal spray apphcations of corrosion and wear-resistant coatings on tool and machine parts. Lower carbon carbides of chromium are important in hardfacing tods and electrodes for weld-apphed ovedays on machine wear surfaces. However, these carbides are usually formed in situ from Cr and C in the rod and not added as preformed carbides. The properties of Ci2C2 are hsted in Table 2. 

Nickel is also widely used as an electrodeposited underlay to chromium on chromium-plated articles, reinforcing the protection against corrosion provided by the thin chromium surface layer. Additionally the production of articles of complex shape to close dimensional tolerances in nickel by electroforming —a high-speed electrodeposition process —has attracted considerable interest. Electrodeposition of nickel and the properties of electro-deposited coatings containing nickel are dealt with in greater detail in Section 14.7. 

The structure and composition of diffusion coatings depends of necessity on the metal or alloy from which the article is made. Thus, for example, it is not possible to speak of chromised coatings generally the material into which chromium is diffused must be specified. Some data on methods of application and properties of commercially chromised irons and steels are given in Table 12.4. 

In recent years, the spraying process has been adapted for hard facing, using the chromium-nickel-boron alloys which have become known as Colmonoy. More recently still, the cobalt-base Stellite alloys have also been used. These materials in powder form are sprayed on to the surface in the usual way. The deposit is afterwards heat treated by a torch, so that fusion takes place. The process is often known as spray-welding. Such coatings are primarily used for hard facing under wear conditions, but as the Anal surface is nickel-chromium or cobalt-chromium they exhibit very high anticorrosive properties. 

In addition, the extreme hardness of the metal, its low coefficient of friction and its non-galling property, combined with its corrosion resistance, make it particularly valuable as a coating where resistance to wear and abrasion are important. Thick deposits applied for this purpose are referred to as hard chromium to distinguish them from the thin decorative deposits. 

---