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Chloride Zinc Plating

Chloride Zinc Plating on vehicle antiroll bar

For those needing rust protection on surfaces that are difficult to plate (such as steel castings and heat-treated steel), Gleco offers chloride zinc plating. Our newer chloride zinc plating delivers brilliant, easily leveled, ductile metal deposits when working on parts up to 120″ x 36″ x 72″.

Our Chloride Zinc Plating Process

Gleco Plating follows a typical zinc application process that includes:

  1. Surface preparation, cleaning the part to remove contaminants that may prevent optimum adhesion.
  2. Electrolyte solution preparation based on the finished product’s desired chemical and physical properties (including deposition speed, covering and throwing power, and thickness distribution).
  3. Procedure selection, rack plating for larger particles on parts that must remain stable or barrel plating on parts that are too small for the plating tank.
  4. Current introduction, to deposit zinc on the metal substrate (with the substrate serving as the cathode).
  5. Post-plating treatment, including rinsing to remove left-over contaminates, or passivating and sealing to provide additional corrosion protection.

Chloride Zinc Color Options

Film color will vary depending on the chromates and topcoats:

  • Colorless Passivate (RoHS Compliant): Clear
  • Colored Passivate (RoHS Compliant): Yellow, Black
  • Colored Chromates (Non-RoHS Compliant): Yellow, Black, Olive Drab

Benefits of Chloride Zinc Plating

Chloride zinc plating offers a unique combination of benefits, including:

  • Superior leveling and finish consistency
  • Brilliant finishes
  • Heat-treating/hardening capabilities
  • Outstanding covering power
  • Efficiency and cost-effectiveness

Unfortunately, two other factors might eliminate chloride zinc plating as a plating option. First, the solutions are corrosive, requiring corrosion-resistant equipment that drives up the cost. Second, because the throwing power isn’t as strong, there’s a chance for poor plate distribution, resulting in thickness buildup.

Chloride zinc plating is used by the automotive, aerospace, medical, defense, medical, and telecommunications industries to plate:

  • Washers, nuts and bolts
  • Pumps and cylinders
  • Steering components and brake calipers
  • Prosthetics
  • Weaponry
  • Radio parts
  • Cell phone towers

If you’re searching for rust protection on parts that are difficult to plate, such as steel castings and heat-treated steel, contact Gleco Plating to learn more about our Chloride Zinc Plating options.