Difference Between Chrome Plating, Zinc Plating, and Nickel Plating

Jack Lie CNC machining expert

Specialize in CNC Milling, CNC Turning, 3D Printing, Urethane Casting, and Sheet Metal Fabrication Services.


The electroplating process is widely adopted in industrial design. Along these lines, first and foremost, we should comprehend what electroplating is. Essentially, electroplating refers to the method of plating a dainty layer of different metals/alloys on certain metals’ surfaces. Typically, it is carried out by utilizing the electrolysis principle. It gets used to deposit a metal film on the metal surface of other materials to avoid metal oxidation. Consequently, it helps improve wear resistance, light reflection, conductivity, corrosion resistance, aesthetics, and various functions.

Electroplating is categorized into copper, silver, gold, chromium, nickel, zinc plating, and other explicit processes in the field of industrial design. However, in this article, we will explore chrome plating, zinc plating, and nickel plating. So, let’s discuss them one by one.

Chrome Plating

Chrome Plating

Chromium is a sort of silver-white metal with a blue shade. The process of plating a layer of chromium on metals/non-metals by some means such as electrolysis or chemical methods is known as chromium plating. There are two kinds of chrome plating. The first is for decorative and embellishing purposes, with a more splendid appearance, reduced rustproof compared to galvanizing, improved abrasion resistance, etc. The following kind is to improve the hardness and wear resistance of parts. Moreover, some of its applications are bright decorative and embellishing parts on home appliances, hardware, and different products like faucets.

Zinc Plating

Zinc Plating

Zinc plating is a surface treatment method that coats a zinc layer on the surface of metals, alloys, or different materials for aesthetics and rust counteraction. Furthermore, its features include minimal expense, shiny white color, and corrosion protection. Similarly, the applications include circuit breakers, crews, and industrial supplies.

Nickel Plating

Nickel Plating

Plating a nickel layer on metals/non-metals by electrolysis or different chemical methods is known as nickel plating. Besides that, it looks beautiful and can be utilized for decoration purposes, has a high price, and is marginally confounded craftsmanship. The color is shimmering white and yellow. Meanwhile, the applications include energy-efficient lamp holders and coins.

Final Words

If the objective is to avoid rust, zinc or cadmium plating can get utilized. But, instead, if the purpose is to prevent wear/tear, chromium or nickel plating is perfect. At the same time, the electroplating approach used in some countries like China is mainly zinc, copper, nickel, and chromium plating. E.g., 50% of them are zinc plating, and 30% are copper, chromium, and nickel plating.

Count on Runsom to Solve Your Electroplating Metal Parts Needs

Every electroplating process needs to be based on electrolysis. However, what sets it apart from other electroplating processes are the solutions used in the process and the expertise of experts. Runsom Precision is your best choice if your metal parts need to be electroplated.

Runsom utilizes premium materials to meet your requirements for top-of-the-line finishes, helping your products have a competitive position on the market. In addition, we strictly comply with standards to ensure the quality of metal parts. At the same time, since we regard time as an essential factor in production, we speed up the production process using our own factory and the network already established.

At Runsom, our manufacturing capabilities are flexible and unmatched, allowing us to produce high-precision and complicated metal parts, ranging from CNC machining services to sheet metal fabrication services.

Request a rapid quote for your next plating project.


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