Hello Mirko,
Chrome-plated surfaces may no longer be produced for environmental reasons.
I’m sorry, but this is the second time today I’ve had to put a spanner in the works. Of course, surfaces can still be chrome-plated today. You can see this, for example, on every new car that drives past you, on quite a lot of kitchen appliances, or on the latest Braun razors. And, of course, on the many corrosion-protected components in your laboratory equipment. There’s always chrome on them in all sorts of colours (I’m not assuming you’re selling the cheapest nickel-plated stuff).
Bans on chrome target chromium in the +6 oxidation state. And only that. That’s why dichromates are no longer available as Bleach baths for the black-and-white reversal process in the retail sector.
The reason why there are no longer any proper chrome foils for baryta drying is likely to be that the volume of sales does not justify the manufacturing costs. Given sufficient volume, a far superior surface treatment of a chrome-plated surface is even worthwhile: on a car’s radiator grille, for example. And there, no flat surfaces are post-treated. Or in the case of wall mirrors in lifts.
Best regards,
Franz
