New European Union (EU) and US environmental standards have restricted the use of the hard-chrome plating process (HCP) because of its toxicity. Hardide Coatings has worked around these restrictions by creating an HCP alternative called Hardide-A.
The new coating not only meets the EU and US standards but also gives similar wear, corrosion, hardness, surface finish and substrate bonding properties when compared to HCP. It can even be used for internal surfaces and complex shapes. Hardide-A is the same thickness (50-100 microns) and hardness (800-1200hv) as HCP. According to industry insiders, Hardide-A works even better than HCP in some areas because it enhances corrosion protection and fatigue life along with having a non-porous structure.
HCP was often used in the aerospace and automotive industries, but it was recently discovered that the hexavalent chrome slats used to form the HCP pose health and environmental risks. Since then, finding an HCP alternative has been paramount. Phillip Kirkham, CEO of Hardide Coatings, has said that Hardide-A, “Provides comparable or better performance over hard chrome with none of the environmental issues. We are working on test programmes with customers including AgustaWestland, Airbus and other aerospace OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).”