Yahoo Autos California Wants to Ban Chrome Plating
California is about turn the state’s restoration, customization, and other automotive industries on its head. The state is looking to reduce harmful emissions and cancer-causing chemicals. The L.A. Times reports state officials have set their sights on banning a method of chrome plating that releases potentially deadly and cancerous chemicals.
The chemical used in the chrome plating process is called hexavalent chromium. It’s what gives the chrome its shiny finish. It’s used in everything from aviation components to household bathroom fixtures. It’s probably more widely used in the automotive community. Chromed bumpers and trim are the lifeblood of the restoration and hot rod communities. They’re not ready for it.
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The problem happens during the chroming process. To get that clean, shiny luster, vehicles or their parts are dipped in a vat of solution containing hexavalent chromium. Then, a current of electricity is sent through the liquid so that the hexavalent chromium adheres to the part. At the same time, however, the current heats the solution causing both bubbles and vapor which carry the chromium. And it’s deadly, over 500 times more toxic than diesel fumes.
