Yet, with all the effort to market products as alternatives to hexavalent chrome, little effort is being expended on informing customers (or the public, for that matter) about the real nature of chromium, what hexavalent means, and how safe chromium metal really is. Companies are rushing forward to embrace new, unproven technologies to be the first to offer alternatives to “hexavalent” chrome, whether the chrome they are replacing is hexavalent or not. The European Union, through such measures as the End-of-Life Vehicle Directive (ELV), has practically eliminated the use of chromium in the automotive industry, and Detroit automakers are rapidly following suit. Yet, even though these products involve the use of chromium metal, which is definitely not hexavalent, governments have reacted to uninformed protest by increasing the number and complexity of rules for usage and disposal methods that affect all those who use chromium, whatever its form. While it may be true that the spotlight on the alleged health hazards of hexavalent chromium is mainly because of its use (or misuse) as a corrosion inhibitor - particularly in cooling waters and chromates - the entire chromium-based industry is bearing the burden of recent negative publicity.īill CorzineChromium metal has served the industry well for many years as a decorative and/or durable finish for hardware and tools and as an excellent wear-resistant surface enhancement for, among other things, bearing and tool-and-die applications.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |