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Electroplated chromium deposits rank among the most important plated metals and are used almost exclusively as the final deposit on parts. Without the physical properties offered by electroplated chromium deposits, the service life of most parts would be much shorter due to wear, corrosion, and the like. Parts would have to be replaced or repaired more frequently, or they would have to be made from more expensive materials, thus wasting valuable resources.The thickness of electroplated chromium deposits falls into two classifications: decorative and functional. Decorative deposits are usually under 0.80 mm in thickness. They offer a pleasing, reflective appearance while also providing corrosion resistance, lubricity, and durability. Decorative chromium deposits are typically plated over nickel but are occasionally plated directly over the substrate of the part.Functional ''hard chrome'' deposits have a thickness customarily greater than 0.80 mm and are used for industrial, not decorative, applications. In contrast to decorative deposits, functional chromium is usually plated directly on the substrate and only occasionally over other electrodeposits, such as nickel. Industrial coatings take advantage of the special properties of chromium, including resistance to heat, hardness, wear, corrosion, and erosion, and a low coefficient of friction. Even though it has nothing to do with performance, many users want their functional chromium deposits also to be decorative in appearance. Functional deposits are also used on parts such as cutting tools and strip steel and are even thinner than decorative deposits.The most common and oldest commercial type of chromium process utilizes hexavalent chromium (Cr 6 þ ) in an aqueous solution containing one or more catalysts. The

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