Difference between hard chrome plating and chrome plating

The main differences between hard chrome plating and chrome plating are hardness, layer thickness, characteristics and process.

Author: Anna

Difference between hard chrome plating and chrome plating
 

The main differences between hard chrome plating and chrome plating are hardness, layer thickness, characteristics and process. 
 

Different hardness: The hardness of chrome plating ranges from 400-1200 HV, while hard chrome plating has a higher hardness of 800-900 HV.
 

Difference in plating thickness: The plating thickness of chrome plating is thin, usually between 0.25-0.5μm, while the plating thickness of hard chrome plating is usually more than 20μm. 
 

Different characteristics: chromium plating has good wear resistance and heat resistance, while hard chrome plating not only has high hardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance, but also can keep the surface bright for a long time. 
 

Different process: chromium plating by adjusting the temperature and current density in the solution to obtain different performance of the chromium plating layer, while hard chrome plating using a barrel-shaped plating anode, and in the plating process of the parts regularly turn over and switch the position in order to obtain the hard chrome plating layer.
 

In summary, hard chrome plating has significant differences from chrome plating in terms of hardness, layer thickness, characteristics and process, which makes hard chrome plating have superior performance in applications.