The paper industry uses nickel as a base for plating large roll shells made from carbon steel. The nickel is less porous than a chrome-oxide outer layer, which would be placed over the top of the nickel. Our experience is once your have rust coming through to the surface, you have rust on your base material. Chrome as a metal doesn't rust, but is porous, which is where the nickel layer is used to protect the base shell material. Chrome is our hard, durable outer layer to resist wear.
Brian Van Baush
Poulsbo, WA USA