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Chrome Door Handles – A history
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Posted On :
May-12-2010
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Article Word Count :
480
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A short history of chrome door handles and what their chemical properties include!
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Chrome or Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24, first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable. The name of the element is derived from the Greek word "chrōma" , meaning color, because many of its compounds are intensely colored. It was discovered by Louis Nicolas Vauquelin in the mineral crocoite (lead chromate) in 1797. Crocoite was used as a pigment, and after the discovery that the mineral chromite also contains chromium this latter mineral was used to produce pigments as well.
Chromium was regarded with great interest because of its high corrosion resistance and hardness. A major development was the discovery that steel could be made highly resistant to corrosion and discoloration by adding chromium to form stainless steel. This application, along with chrome plating (electroplating with chromium) are currently the highest-volume uses of the metal. Chromium and ferrochromium are produced from the single commercially viable ore, chromite, by silicothermic or aluminothermic reaction or by roasting and leaching processes
How are Chrome Door Handles Plated?
Doortique.com sells a huge range of Chrome Door Handles all of which use a base material of either Brass or Zinc which is then Chrome Plated.
Chrome plating, often referred to simply as chrome, is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. The chromed layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, ease cleaning procedures, or increase surface hardness, all of which are highly useful attributes in relation to Chrome Door Handles.
The component will generally go through these different stages.
• Degreasing to remove heavy soiling.
• Manual cleaning to remove all residual traces of dirt and surface impurities.
• Various pretreatments depending on the substrate.
• Placed into the chrome plating vat and allowed to warm to solution temperature.
• Plating current applied and component is left for the required time to attain thickness.
There are many variations to this process depending on the type of substrate being plated upon. Different etching solutions are used for different substrates. Hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, and sulfuric acids can be used. Ferric chloride is also popular for the etching of Nimonic alloys. Sometimes the component will enter the chrome plating vat electrically live. Sometimes the component will have a conforming anode either made from lead/tin or platinized titanium. A typical hard chrome vat will plate at about 25 micrometres (0.00098 in) per hour.
The chrome plating chemicals are very toxic. Disposal of chemicals is regulated in most countries.
The wide range of Chrome Door Handles available from Doortique.com are all manufactured by a number of carefully selected manufacturers who have a long standing reputation for producing Chrome Door Handles of the highest standard along with a full range of matching accessories.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Chrome Door Handles – A history_18637.aspx
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Author Resource :
If you visit door Handles you will find a large selection of Chrome door Handles in both a polished and satin finish. Chrome is a highly decorative finish and particularly suited for door handles due to its inherent hardness and durability.
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Keywords :
Chrome door Handles, door Handles,
Category :
Home and Family
:
Interior Design
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