U.S. Chrome, Stratford, Conn., announces that it will scale up commercial production of its family of TriCom electroplating technologies. TriCom-H is based on a composite microstructure of a cobalt-phosphorus alloy matrix with uniformly dispersed fine silicon carbide particles. Offering extremely high hardness and high wear resistance, it represents a drop-in replacement for hard chrome, without environmental drawbacks. TriCom-H is metallurgically sound and does not contain the micro-cracks characteristic of hard chrome; this feature contributes significantly to superior corrosion resistance.
It also has significant application advantages and cost savings over thermal spray. “The processing equipment is largely the same as for chrome plating, but requires less energy and deposits coating two to three times faster,” notes Al Kertesz, Vice President of Marketing for U.S. Chrome. “We are currently processing TriCom-H commercially at our Connecticut facility, and will soon be able to offer the service nationwide at all locations.”
The coating is in increasing demand, the result of production on the hydraulic actuating cylinders for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, where it replaced a thermal spray coating for an NLOS inside diameter application.
Virtually all hard chrome plating applications are candidates. However, TriCom-H does have minor limitations. The coating’s high phosphorus content makes it unsuitable for high-temperature applications (above 400°C/750°F) of stress-bearing components, and it has limited oxidation resistance at those temperatures. Coating hardness can be increased by heat treatment, except for a few low-temperature alloys, notably aluminum.
