Electroplating
NASF Sues EPA Over Hex Chromium Rules
Sierra Club also sues the EPA over the same National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants rules for plating industry; NASF's two court actions include a petition for judicial review of the ruling in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and a request for reconsideration of the rule with EPA.
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History of Chromium Plating
A review article originally printed as Plating & Surface Finishing, 71 (6), 84-91 (1984) on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the American Electroplaters Society.
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Non-chromated Conversion Coating for Magnesium Alloys and Zinc-Nickel Plated Steel
A novel hexavalent chromate-free conversion coating was developed to improve anti-corrosion and adhesive-bonding characteristics of the magnesium alloys and zinc-nickel (Zn-Ni) plated steel substrates. The corrosion behavior of the coated and uncoated alloys was investigated by neutral salt fog (NSF) and electrochemical corrosion tests. Surface wettability of the pretreated substrates was investigated by static contact angle measurements. Wet-tape adhesion tests verified that there is strong adhesion between the primer and the chem film-treated substrates. The morphology and composition of the coated surfaces were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) methods. This trivalent chromium-based surface treatment is a potential hexavalent chromate conversion coating replacement for magnesium alloys and Zn-Ni plated steel.
Read MoreElectroless Nickel on Tungsten
Can one apply electroless nickel over a tungsten metal matrix?
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Plating Q&A: Electroless Nickel on Tungsten
Can one apply electroless nickel over a tungsten metal matrix? Art Kushner answers the question.
Read MoreTin Lead Plating
Is it possible to plate a cold-rolled steel part with a minimum 5–7 percent lead content tin plate?
Read MoreA Conversation With ... Steve Smith
The SUR/FIN shows in Chicago and Las Vegas the past two years have received good reviews from attendees and exhibitors. The man who led the NASF committee organizing SUR/FIN was Steve Smith, the vice president of sales and marketing for Process Technology, which designs and manufactures process heating and cooling equipment for the plating industry.
Read MoreAcquisitions Abound in the Finishing Industry
End-markets are growing, raw material costs are declining, and more than the usual number of mergers and acquisitions took place, possibly signaling a resurgence of the U.S. coating industry. The Carlyle Group won a bidding war to take over DuPont Performance Coatings; Innotek Powder Coatings was purchased by Protech/Oxyplast; United Capital Funding Corp. purchased Architectural Finish Systems; and Pioneer Metal Finishing of Green Bay, Wis., bought Superior Metal Finishing of Portland, Ore., to go along with plants in Wisconsin, Oregon, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina and Indiana.
Read MoreSteamed Over Heating Costs? Try Gas For Your Finishing Shop
The cost of natural gas in the U.S. is at record lows—about where the rates were in the mid-1970s—causing many in the plating industry who need to heat tanks to search for alternative avenues to curtail their rising energy costs.
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