Posted by Circlip on 30/05/2015 12:27:45:
"Show" chrome might, (copper/nickel/chrome). Chromium is a hard colourless coating. Perhaps someone involved in the Hard chrome plating industry could elucidate.
I think there might be a bit of confusion here:
Hard chrome plating is a substantial coating of chrome metal which is very hard. Thus it has good wear resistance. Chrome metal is a silvery grey lustrous element similar in appearance to many other metals.
In stainless steels, the chromium content forms a thin, self passivating oxide coating which protects the iron from oxidation and hence further corrosion. This thin oxide layer is transparent.
HTH
Rod