Unusually high current efficiency of nanocrystalline Cr electrodeposition process from trivalent chromium bath

Abstract

A sulphate trivalent chromium bath was described which contains 1M Cr(III) as well as carbamide and formic acid as complexing agents. The introduction of NaF into the bath was shown to result in increasing the current efficiency of chromium electrodeposition up to uncommonly high values (∼50%). The trivalent chromium bath proposed allows obtaining bright and smooth nanocrystalline Cr coatings with a thickness of several tens micrometres.