This is all true to my knowledge working as an engineer on gun barrels. I'll add two more quick things.
Plating can be environmentally OK. The plant I worked at plated gun barrels to the highest standards in the world. We also won the state of Vermont's environmental award. Not to say this didn't cost money, require a full time environmental engineering staff etc.
Hydrogen embrittlement is a subject in itself that I have discussed before on the list. The issue is getting rid of it. Hydrogen diffuses out with time and temperature. Bake at 300 F for 12 hours, 200 F for a day or so or just wait a year or so.
The best real world example of hydrogen embrittlement is chrome Paramounts. No doubt Schwinn had a problem in this area as the broken chromed Paramounts were numerous.
If anyone needs to, I could process a frame in my sauna for the price of a days electricity. Of course, per Ritchies comments, I could fit 50 in there for the price of one.
Joe Bender-Zanoni
Great Notch, NJ-
> Lots o' voodoo science out there regarding chrome.
>
> Chrome has a lot of properties, some good, so not so good.
>
> Let's look at durability first - at its' best, chrome can be very, very
> durable and extremely rust/corrosion resistant. This is why the 120mm
> smooth bore Rheinmetall cannon on the M1 Abrams, the German Leopard II,
and
> the French Le Clerc main battle tanks and all the 125mm equipped Russian
> tanks utilize the industrial hard chrome process. Further, there isn't a
> modern military machine gun made today that doesn't utilize chrome bore
> barrels and other internal parts that are chromed to reduce wear and
inhibit
> corrosion. Projectiles traveling at speeds of a mile per second, create
> very hostile surface environments! There are also tons of chrome
> applications in the aerospace industry as well.
>
> Cosmetically, which is where most applications concerning cyclists and
> motorcyclist are concerned, can be a can of worms. The major culprit is
the
> polishing process, a point of contention others on the list have pointed
> out. Then there's the process itself - most folks don't understand what
> "triple plated" means and go off talking about chrome rusting. Chrome
> doesn't rust. The metal it's applied over rusts. To triple plate,
> generally means a piece is polished, a copper "strike" is made, the piece
is
> flushed, cleaned and dried, polished again, then a nickel "strike" is
made,
> the cleaning/polishing process repeated, finally the chrome is applied.
> Many of the older European bikes were simply polished a bit and then
dipped
> in the chrome vat, given a cursory flushing and sent out. In this manner,
> the chrome offered a porous surface with little protection, leading to
> legendary rust battles. Ever see chrome on older Fiats?
>
> Then there is "electroless chrome," a process that is gaining a great deal
> of regard for its' properties of increasing surface hardness and corrosion
> resistance.
>
> Sound tedious? Talk to some of the folks in the chroming business that do
> nothing but Harleys! These peoples reputations and livelihoods are on the
> line - no rounding off of edges, "burning" of surfaces, etc., are allowed.
>
> Then there are the environmental impact aspects, none of which are
> eco-friendly. Lots of toxic chemicals utilized and developed as by
products
> that pose hazards to both the people working around them and the eco
system
> at large when the solutions are no longer effective in the process.
>
> Hope this helps to "stir the pot" a bit and to help dispel some "urban
> myths."