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Hard Chrome Plating Consultants, Inc., 2196 West 59 Street, Cleveland Ohio 44102
Phone: 216-631-9090 Fax: 216-631-9060



 

Hard Facts about Hard Chrome

Volume 3, Issue 003                                                                                                      November, 2004

Hard Chrome Plating Consultants Inc.,  2196 West 59th Street and Walworth Ave., Cleveland Ohio 44102

Phone: 216 631 9090   Fax: 216 631 9060

Clarence H. Peger / D. Ward                                                       E-mail: 

 

OSHA Proposed Personal Exposure Limit for Hexavalent Chrome

 

The Occupational and Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been sued in the Federal Third Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals by the Public Citizen’s Health Research an activist group and The Oil and Atomic Workers Union.  Public Citizen won an appeal in 1997 to force OSHA to write new rules to lower the current personal exposure limit (PEL) of hexavalent chrome.   OSHA has been dragging its feet and the Court of appeals ruled that OSHA is required collect data and write a new standard to lower the PEL by 2006.  The current PEL is 100 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour, time-weighted average.  The new proposed PEL is 1 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour, time-weighted average.  If this new PEL is implemented, you will be required to perform periodic air quality test in your shop if over .5 micrograms/meter square. The air quality test requires employees to wear personal exposure monitors.  For more information on the new proposed rules, go to the OSHA web site, www.osha.gov/FedReg_osha_pdfFED20041004.pdf

 

OSHA is also looking for comments by January 3, 2005 on how this proposed rule will affect your business.

Many shops will not be able to meet the new proposed PEL. In fact, if you have a lot of dusty dried chromic acid stains from drips on the floor, used equipment, and used anodes in storage areas, you will have a tough time passing the proposed PEL tests.  If any chromic acid dust is disturbed when someone walks on the floor or by a wire brushing dry anodes you will not pass PEL test the in shop even if you are not doing any chrome plating at the time of the PEL test.  When the plater and other shop employees are wearing a monitor around their neck and waist during a PEL test, your shop will have to be clean and free from chromic acid dust everywhere your employees work or enter your shop.  You need to start good shop cleaning and hygiene practices now to be able to pass this proposed PEL test.

 

Some of the products you can use to clean the shop are described in the following paragraphs.

 

D-CHROMIC SOAP

This soap is a sodium carbonate based powder that when mixed with water will remove chrome stains.  You can add D-Chromic powder to a spray bottle of water and use it as a spray surface cleaner or add D-Chromic to a bucket of water and mop floors with it. D-Chromic will convert hexavalent chrome to trivalent chrome on shop surfaces.  D-Chromic rinses off easily.  DO NOT use caustic soda or sodium metabisulfite to remove chrome from shop surfaces because these chemicals do not rinse off very easily and you will create new set of problems.

 

Cyclonic Vacuum Cleaners

There are Cyclonic Vacuum Cleaners available that can be plumbed to the vacuum cleaner exhaust port into the inlet of a fume scrubber to vacuum up the chromic acid dust and not spread chromic acid dust through out the shop like an ordinary vacuum cleaner.  Since this cyclonic vacuum does not use a filter bag so there is no need to dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag as hazardous waste.  A HEPA filter vacuum will not filter the extremely fine chromic acid dust to the proposed PEL level and should not ever be used.  The water curtain in a wet scrubber will filter out the fine dust that the vacuum does not cyclonically remove and you can use a porous pot to treat the scrubber water and return and reclaim chromic acid back into the plating tank. 

 

In Tank Filter Pump

We also sell an in tank filter pump for the scrubber water recirculation tank.  The solid particulate filter pump will filter out normal airborne dirt as well as buffing and grinding compound that a scrubber collects just from the shop air.  DO NOT run the porous pot in the scrubber recirculation tank until you filter out the suspended solids and the accumulated dirt sludge collected on the bottom of the scrubber tank that the fume scrubber pulled out of the shop air. This filter pump will clean scrubber water and keep the dirty scrubber water with suspended solids from clogging the mesh pad thus saving you money on replacing clogged scrubber mesh pads.  To order a custom built particulate filter pump, FAX a tank drawing to 216-631-9060 with  the dimension of the recirculation tank (width X length X Height and  rim dimensions) including the high and low scrubber solution levels.

 

Recycling and Reusing the Filtered Scrubber Water

You need to transfer the filtered scrubber water to another vented tank before running the porous pot in the scrubber water.  It will have iron, and trivalent chrome and other shop contaminate that the porous pot can remove so you can reclaim the chromic acid instead hauling it off to EPA approved hazardous waste site.   If you try to run the porous pot without filtering the scrubber water first you will clog the one half micron pores and ruin the porous pot.

 

Use Care When Cleaning Your Shop

When cleaning your shop make sure you are wearing gloves, a breathing respirator, eye protection, and protective clothing since a high level of dried chromic acid can be created just moving equipment around and make the problem worse all over the shop.  If you have a very old shop with a large quantity of dry chromic acid build up, I recommend that you hire a professional hazardous waste clean up company to evaluate the situation and perform the cleanup for you. Doing the cleaning yourself in an old shop exposes you and your employees to needless high level of chromic acid dust.

 

Care and Feeding of Conforming Anodes

After use, conforming anodes must be rinsed to remove all of the chromic acid solution after their last use before storage.  If you use conforming lead mat anodes in our reversible rack system, do not let them stay in the tank with the power supply turned off because they will form lead chromate and yellow lead sulfate.  We also sell anode cleaner that you use as a dip to clean your anodes without brushing them.  You should never brush off the anodes when they are dry because they will spread chromic acid dust and lead dust.    You should store conforming anode in clear closed container with a small amount of water so you do not dry it out completely. This storage method will eliminate the lead dust problem when you open the sealed container.

 

Replace Push/Pull Exhaust Systems

Shops with push/pull exhaust systems will not meet the new proposed PEL.  Especially if you chrome plate flat plates the length of the tank or use a plating tank with lots of obstructions from the plating racks, anodes, and parts held above the solution level in the path of the exhaust fumes.  We have never recommended this type of exhaust system for hard chrome plating tank for good reason. They never remove the chromic acid fume properly under all conditions. The push/pull exhaust system only works correctly when there are no plating racks and anodes in the plating tanks.  Needless to say you cannot chrome plate in an empty tank.   As soon as you put racked parts into a tank with a push/pull hood you create air turbulences.   The push air pipe blows air across the tank and onto the obstruction caused by the plating racks, parts and anodes.  This disturbs the push air flow across the surface of the plating solution and the push air will blow onto the plating racks then the chromic acid mist shoots up and out into the shop never reaching the pull hood air slots.  The more racks you put into the tank, the more turbulence you create and the pull hood will never be able to capture all of the chromic acid mist.

 

Dual Lateral and Quad Slotted Hoods

The type of exhaust hood you should use on hard chrome plating tank is a dual lateral hood that pulls the chromic acid mist from pull slots on both sides of the tank.  On large square tanks that are bigger than 6’ X 6’, you may need to change the hood that pulls the mist from slots on all four sides to meet the proposed PEL.  The tip to use four-sided hood slots on a tank was provided by Frank Altmayer, MSF from Scientific Control Lab based in Chicago.  He has been recommending the four-slot hood at seminars he gives at trade shows. Placing a four-slot hood all around the out side edges of tank is a good idea for even small tanks. You will have to have enough excess scrubber exhaust air capacity for the added air flow needed for the two extra air slots at the ends of the tank.   OSHA has minimum air flow slot velocity and you have to comply with these standards depending on the size of the tank and width to length ratios.  Even with a dual-lateral hood or four-sided hood, depending on some complicated large parts that block air flow into the hood slot, you may still not pass the proposed PEL for hexavalent chromic acid.  You may need to use a LOW FOAM mist suppressant. 

 

Make Sure You Only Use Low-foam Mist Suppressants in Hard Chrome Tanks

There are many kinds of mist suppressants on the market.  There are high-foam mist suppressants that were developed for low-temperature bright chrome.  The low-foam, fluro-based, mist suppressant is the only type of mist suppressant that should be used in a hard chrome tank.  High-foam mist suppressants should never be used in a hard chrome tank.  These high-foam mist suppressants trap a lot of hydrogen gas and can explode violently and splash the plater with hot chromic acid.  They also break down in the 140 Degree F hard chrome tank and you have to keep adding large amount of high-foam mist suppressant to keep the surface tension at 35 dynes.  If you run closed loop and return all the rinse water to the plating tank the high-foam mist suppressant break-down byproducts will build up.  The break down byproducts of the mist suppressant are caused by the high temperature (140 digress F.) that hard chrome tanks operate with. This build up of spent mist suppressant will cause the anode to form a dead scale and slow down the plating rate.  This slow plating rate is what causes the pitting problem on thick chrome deposits when using the wrong type of mist suppressant that does not hold up in high temperature plating hard chrome tanks.  Too much mist suppressant or adding a large quantity mist suppressant to the tank at a time will also cause pit and peeling problems.

 

Low-foam, fluor-based fume suppressant DOES NOT have any above problems.  The product I having been selling for the past five years is called CANCEL 45 and everyone using this product is very happy with this mist suppressant.  It does not break down and the platers that switch to Cancel 45 from a high foam based suppressant report they drastically cut down on the number of additions they have to make to the plating tank.  This makes Cancel 45 less expensive to use.  

 

If you start using mist suppressant you have to notify your local EPA so they can add to your records that you are now running mist suppressant and record this EPA air permit.   Don’t worry, the EPA and OSHA will be happy that you are running mist suppressant and will be happy to file the paperwork.  You will need to buy a stalagmometer or tensionmometer to run the EPA required surface tension test every 4-hours to make sure you have the right concentration of mist suppressant in the tank.  It is very important that you run the surface tension tests and record the result into a written record per EPA regulations. Also record how much Cancel 45 you have added to make any adjustment necessary to keep the surface tension at 35 dynes.

 

Merlin Hood

There is another type of hood, originally called the Merlin Hood that covers the tank while the rectifier is on.  It does not use an exhaust fan while plating; but, has a membrane that lets out the hydrogen and oxygen gasses but not the chromic acid fume water vapor into the shop.  If you switch to this type of hood, you will probable have to cool the tank with a heat exchanger and buy a rinse water evaporator because there is no heat loss or water evaporation during plating cycle.  Since the Merlin hood covers the top of the tank completely, you cannot have an extremely large part hanging from a chain hoist of have a large part sticking above the solution beyond the height of the hood. There is advantage to the Merlin hood as you do not need much make-up air.  This saves shop heating and Air conditioning costs.  For more information on a Merlin hood or new dual and quad slot lateral hoods please call with the size of tank and we can quote you a new hood.

 

PLATERS PUTTY IS BACK!!!

 

I’m sure that many of you remember Anderson’s Platers Putty.  It has not been manufactured for many years.  We now offer a new formulation of Platers Putty that works as well as the original product.  Platers Putty can be used instead of stop-off lacquer on intricate parts where stop-off lacquer is time-consuming to apply and wipe off any lacquer smear. It is lot easier to remove Platers Putty after plating the part.

.

APPEARANCE: Thick, light orange colored material.

 

DIRECTIONS FOR USE: Take a small amount of the putty and work until pliable and place the putty in holes, keyway, slots and dove tails.  Platers Putty can be used when painting stop-off lacquer and it would be too time consuming or too difficult of a job to remove the stop-off lacquer.

 

For easy removal DO NOT BAKE or put part Platters Putty in a hydrogen embrittlement relief oven. Remove all putty and stop-off before baking.  Heat cured Platers Putty will harden and it will be difficult to remove the putty from the part.

Use a heat gun if you need to seal just the top of the hole. Make sure the heat gun is set low enough so that scorching or burning of the putty does not occur. Depending upon the size of the hole and amount of mass the part is 1 to 2 minutes of applied heat for small parts should be sufficient to cure just the top surface of the putty.

 

KEEP CONTAINER CLOSED WHEN NOT IN USE. WEAR LATEX GLOVES WHEN HANDLING THIS PRODUCT AND AVOID CONTACT WITH SKIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ALWAYS READ MSDS BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT. KEEP AWAY FROM EXTREME HEAT AND DIRECT SUNLIGHT.

 

DISCLAIMER: This is an experimental product and has not been thoroughly field tested in all the different types plating baths. Any feedback good or bad on suitability of this product would be greatly appreciated.  User assumes all liability for use of this product. We make no warrant either express of implied as to the fitness of this product for any use or application.


 

USED PLATING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

 

Two complete hard chrome plating systems are for sale in Oregon. Both systems will require professional dismantling, removal and crating by the purchaser at the sellers location. Shipping will be at the purchaser’s expense.  The small system is a 5000 amp 3’ X 10’ X 4 foot deep system and the other larger system is a 10’ X 10’ X 10’ deep tank with 10,000 amp rectifier system.  Seller prefers to sell both the systems intact either together or separately.  Please do not call me to purchase just the rectifier, the tank, or the scrubber separately.  They must be sold together as a system.  See the last page of this newsletter for more information on these systems.

 

                USED PLATING EQUIPMENT FOR SALE IN CLEVELAND, OHIO

 

The following plating equipment is in good condition and can be bought separately.  The price does not included shipping and crating costs.  E-mail me info@hard-chromesystems.com for pictures of equipment here in Cleveland.

 

DARRAH ELECTRIC 9 VOLT 3000 AMP DC, 220 VOLT AC THREE PHASE INPUT AIR COOLED

Tap switch controlled was rebuilt back in 1996 by Darrah Electric.  Price is $3750.00 shipping weight 2500 Lbs.

 

DARRAH ELECTRIC 9 VOLT 1500 AMP DC 220 VOLT AC THREE PHASE INPUT AIR COOLED

Tap switch controlled was used for back up since rebuilt.               Price is $1875.00 shipping weight 1000 Lbs.

 

ALDONEX 9 VOLT 250 AMP DC, 220 VOLT SINGLE PHASE AC INPUT AIR COOLED BENCH TOP

With new variable Powerstat control and amp meter.  In PVC cabinet Price is $1500.00 Shipping weight 200 Lbs.

 

POWER TEN 7.5 VOLT 250 AMP DC 220 VOLT AC SINGLE PHASE AIR COOLED 19” RACK MOUNT

Constant voltage and current regulated DC output. Digital LCD meters Price $1400.00 Shipping weight 50 Lbs.

                                                                                       

POWERTEC 5 VOLT 300 AMP DC 220 VOLT AC SINGLE PHASE, NEW SURPLUS AIR COOLED

Constant Voltage regulated only.  NEW wired remote control analog meters Price is $975.00 Shipping weight 50 Lbs.

 

MOTOROLA 40 VOLT 30 AMP DC 110 VOLT AC.  LAB GRADE power supply GOOD FOR BRUSH PLATING

Constant voltage and current transistor regulated DC output. Analog meters      Price is $500.00 shipping weight 70 Lbs.

 

5 HORSE POWER DUAL BUFFING WHEEL POLISHING JACK.  220 and 440 V AC THREE PHASE

with many Spiral sewn 12” -14" buffing wheels.  New Motor Starter contactor and control button Price $1400.00

 

STAINLESS STEEL TANK WITH LID 31” X 24” X 48 INCHES DEEP.  Price is $450.00

 

COPPER RECTANGULAR BUS BARS 1-1/2” X 2” X 12 FOOT LONG 2 PCS Price $275.00 shipping weight 300 lbs.

 

PVC SECONDARY CONTAINMENT FLOOR LINERS 12’ X 12’ AND 12’ X 27 FOOT.  Price is $3200.00

 

4 DRUM 55 GALLONS SECONDARY CONTAINMENT PLASTIC PALLETS.  Price is $278.00 or $350.00/pair

 

ROLLING 55 GALLON DRUM STAND.  Price is $95.00 each or $150.00 for the pair.

 

BUDGET TROLLEY INC. 1/2 TON ELECTRIC CHAIN HOIST 220 VOLT AC Price $400.00

 

MANDERSHCHEID SEMI-AUTOMATIC FEED THRU SMALL SHAFT POLISHING STAND Price 450.00

 

TEFLON DUAL DIAPHRAGM 1/2” AIR OPERATED CHEMICAL PUMP.  Price $200.00

 

JET FLOOR MOUNTED DRILL PRESS.  $250.00

 

BAKER ELECTRIC TOW MOTOR.  3000 POUND CAPACITY WITH CHARGER.  Price $2500.00


 

 

Hard Facts about Hard Chrome

Volume 3, Issue 003                                                                                                                            

Hard Chrome Plating Consultants Inc., 2196 West 59th Street and Walworth Ave., Cleveland Ohio 44102

Phone: 216 631 9090 Fax: 216 631 9060

Clarence H. Peger / D. Ward                                                    e-mail: 

 

 

 

Huge Savings on Used Plating Lines

 

All reasonable offers will be accepted.

 

Two (2) Hard Chrome Plating Systems are available at a tremendous savings for the right buyer.  These systems are located in Oregon: a captive shop is selling them due to a business change.   This equipment is to be sold on an AS-IS basis with all dismantling, loading and shipment the responsibility of the buyer. 

 

 

System Number 1

System Number 2

Tank size

4’ x 10’ x 4’ deep

10’ x 10’ x 10’ deep

Rectifier

5000 Amp Rapid water cooled

10000 Amp Rapid water cooled, like new

Tank Bussing

two 3” x 3” on edge

four 3” x 3” laid flat

Cooling Tower

Marley, with tank

Delta, with tank

NOTE: The cooling systems service both the plating bath as well as the rectifier

 

System Number 1

Item

Description

Value

Plating Tank 

48 x 120 x 48 inches deep, Koroseal tm lined

5,320.00

Auxiliary Tank 

Rinse Tank, 48 X 96 X 48 inches deep Koroseal tm lined

4,480.00

Rectifier 

Rapid SCR, 5000 Amp. @ 12 Volts, 480/3/60 AC, water cooled with air purge in cabinet

15,000.00

Reversing Switch  

None (Reversible racks used)

 

Rectifier Bussing 

Set up for 5,000 Amps, approximately 5’ away from tank

3,000.00

Tank Top Bussing

Two 3” x 3” on edge   Sold

2,700.00

Fixtures

17 Reversible Chrome Plating racks and bottoms

4,250.00

Anodes

Numerous

1,000.00

Cooling  Coil   

Two titanium coils

1,500.00

Cooling Tower   

Marley cooling tower and recirculation tank, for both rectifier and bath

2,500.00

Bath Heaters   

Two triple tube titanium

4,200.00

Air Agitation

PVC air sparger with blower

1,400.00

Ventilation

Lined steel hoods on two long sides, Viron BS-5000 vertical 10,000 CFM scrubber, set-up for 4,800 CFM @ 3.5” SP, PVC, bought in 1986 with 30 gpm. Pump, 0.5 gpm fresh water make-up

19,000.00

Stands & Floor Grating

Steel catwalk around tank, elevated 22”

950.00

Containment

Lined steel pan under tank and scrubber

725.00

 

Total Value – When purchased New

$66,525.00


 

System Number 2

Item

Description

Value

Plating Tank 

10 x 10 x 10 feet deep, Koroseal lined approximately 7000 gallons

17,500.00

Auxiliary Tank 

48 X 96 X 48 inches deep, evaporator tank, unlined with three tube heaters

4,980.00

Rectifier 

Rapid (like new) 10,000 Amp. @ 12 Volts, 480/3/60 AC Water cooled

30,000.00

Reversing Switch

Clinton 10,000 Amp, manual

8,160.00

Rectifier Bussing

Set up for 10,000 Amps, approx. 5’ away from tank

6,000.00

Tank Top Bussing

Four 3” x 3” copper bars, two cells  Sold

5,400.00

Fixtures

Numerous end holders for plating the OD of various diameter rolls

2,900.00

Anodes

Conforming, see below:

 

Cooling  Coil   

Titanium

3,200.00

Cooling Tower   

Delta cooling tower and recirculation tank, for both rectifier and bath

3,400.00

Bath Heaters   

12 titanium heater tubs

21,000.00

Air Agitation

PVC sparger and air pump

2,800.00

Ventilation

Three sided hood, fiberglass scrubber on heavy duty steel stand, rectifier is housed underneath, CFM is unknown, PVC ducting 

24,500.00

Stands & Floor Grating  

Steel floor grating around pit, measurers approx. 14’ x 14’

850.00

Containment

Lined concrete pit used

N/A

 

Total Value – When purchased New

$130,690.00

 

13 assorted large conforming tank anodes:  8, 12, and 16-inch ID x 106-inches high ---- 5, 6.5, 8, 10,

12, 14, 15, and 17-inch ID x 46-inches high. Total value when purchased new = $33,900.00

 

CALL today to receive detailed information about the components available

or to schedule an inspection visit.

 

System Number 1

System Number 2

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Hard Chrome Plating Consultants, Inc., 2196 West 59 Street, Cleveland Ohio 44102
Phone: 216-631-9090 Fax: 216-631-9060

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