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Hexavalent Cr
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Trivalent Cr
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Excellent deposit properties
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Struggles with many issues
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Simple bath chemistry
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Very complicated bath formulation
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Very good corrosion resistance
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Requires a nickel deposit first
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Fewer tanks & less floorspace
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Much larger plating lines
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Reverse etch activation
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Needs an alkaline cleaner and acid
dip
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Broad operating window
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Sensitive to operating conditions
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Easy to control & maintain
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Daily analysis & additions needed
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Tolerant to bath impurities
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Very sensitive to many impurities
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Uses standard lead anodes
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Expensive MMO anodes required
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Tolerates water additions
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Sensitive to water concentration
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Bath additions not a problem
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Requires ‘Bleed and Feed’
|
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Indefinite bath life
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Periodic bath dumps required
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Easily Zero Discharged
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Waste treatment always needed
|
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Over 100 years of success
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New and unproven
|
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Much lower investment
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Considerable higher entry cost
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Inexpensive to operate
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Significantly higher operating costs
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Many possible vendors
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Tied to a single supplier
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Easily made Sustainable
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Considerable waste generator
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