Chrome plating lives on, despite restrictions on the common Hexavalent process which come into force in September 2024 in the UK. Back in March 2024, the BMF reported that a ban on Hexavalent – which uses toxic chemicals – was under consideration but that alternatives might be available. To read that article please click here. Platers using Hexavalent will now need to apply for a licence.

Nottingham Platers, a well-established aftermarket chrome plater, has pointed out that it has been using the non-toxic Trivalent for 26 years, pioneering its use in the UK. “My father-in-law, who was a chemist, came across the Trivalent process in the USA,” the company’s Simon Revelle told the BMF. “We’ve been using it ever since. It’s non-carcinogenic and our workers can oversee the process in T-shirts, without masks or other protective equipment. I also think that it gives a better finish than Hexavalent.”

He added that Trivalent does need additional equipment and more oversight of the process than Hexavalent, with slightly higher costs, but that it uses less power and the non-toxic chemicals make it better for the environment. “This is how it should be,” he said. “The ban has been on the horizon for 15-20 years, so we’ve known it was coming, but we’ll carry on chroming for our customers.”

Jim Freeman, Chair of the BMF said, “Nottingham Platers have shown the way, as they say the restrictions on Hexavalent are not a sudden change. Without knowing what the Licence entails, the switch to a much cleaner process looks like a no-brainer in the long term.”

Written by Peter Henshaw

Top image courtesy of Nottingham Platers