PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Distribution
Latest Production Capabilities Announced
Saporito’s High Corrosion Resistant
Trivalent Chromate for Zinc Offered
Cicero, IL . . . Saporito Finishing Company’s high corrosion-resistant trivalent chromate is a clear/blue chromate offering resistance for up to 150 hours to white rust (corrosion) and 264 hours to red rust (chromate) when tested according to ASTM B117 neutral salt spray testing. The new chromate produces an attractive, bright, blue trivalent chromate to meet automotive and other industry standards.
When testing 1010 cold rolled steel panels, zinc plated to .0002″ minimum thickness and chromated in the high corrosion-resistant chromate, the panels showed only 3% white corrosion and no red rust after 264 hours.
“Our high corrosion-resistant chromate yields higher corrosion resistance than conventional hexavalent chromates while producing a more uniform and aesthetically pleasing blue-bright appearance compared to the iridescence and non-uniform appearance of traditional hexavalent chromates, including yellow and olive drab,” explains Jeffrey Logan, Saporito’s director of technical operations and quality assurance.
The chromate also eliminates the environmental concerns associated with toxic hexavalent chromates, while meeting the automotive and European directives to eliminate hexavalent chrome. According to Logan, this mandate is finding its way from the automotive industry and into other manufacturing segments. The trivalent chromate meets these concerns and addresses ever-tightening EPA restrictions.
High corrosion-resistant chromate is not affected by baking or exposure to heats associated with curing processes typical in paints, powder coats, and rubber molding, as well as service conditions. Traditional hexavalent chromates dehydrate when exposed to temperatures in excess of 150 degrees Fahrenheit. These dehydrated chromates crack and expose the substrate underneath which then corrodes and fails completely. Trivalent chromates can be baked at temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with minimal degradation of their corrosion resistance making them excellent bases for paints and rubber bonding and superior to hexavalent finishes.
