The Facts About Black Chrome Wheels
Black chrome wheels on motorcycles, trucks and cars are fast becoming more and more popular. The main reason for this being that the black chrome adds an extra option to the available designs for the rims, and they look so ultra cool. The process for making them has also now matured, and the result has been a steady increase in the number of manufacturers entering this market. This means much more competition, and there has been a steady decline in the prices. This is excellent news for all of us that want to customize our rides.
How Black Chrome Wheels are Made
Most of the cost associated with the making of these gems is labor. In order to manufacture them properly there is an enormous amount of manual labor involved. In fact the success of the final product depends on almost entirely on how well the surfaces of the rims are prepared before the entire electroplating process even starts. To begin with, the substrate surface is completely cleaned, and any scratches, pits or corrosion is removed or repaired. The surface is then acid washed and polished to as high quality a finish as possible.
The next stage in the process is to electroplate a nickel, or copper, layer onto the bare metal. Electroplating is the only method employed to do this. In electroplating the rims are placed into a bath containing a liquid copper or nickel solution. An electrical connection is made to the rims, and the other electrical connection to the bath. A layer of nickel or copper is then deposited onto the bare metal of the rims by electrolysis. It bonds to the rims at the molecular level. Once the first layer of nickel or copper has been electroplated, then the manual labor comes back into the project. The entire new surface is acid washed and then polished to high shine again.
A second layer is then applied. No matter whether the first layer was copper or nickel, the second layer is nickel. The reason that nickel is used is that it is very hard and durable. It is also the nickel that is responsible for the reflective shine that you will get on the finished product. Once the second layer has been electroplated onto the rims then it is once again manually acid washed and polished to a top quality shine.
Time for the final coat. The nickel plated rims are now immersed into a chromium solution and they are then chrome plated. The layer of chrome is extremely thin. In most cases it is only millionths of an inch. The chrome provides a final layer of protection to the nickel, and electro-chemically assists in stopping tarnishing and corrosion. In the final step, the chromium solution in the electroplating bath has a black powder chemical contaminant added to it. This is how you end up with your incredibly cool black chrome wheels for your ride.
Candice is an ardent car and bike enthusiast, who regularly writes on automotive subjects.
Visit her very informative website at CheapChromeWheels.net for the lowest prices on thousands of black chrome wheels for trucks, cars and motorcycles.
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