B1026 helps adapt chromium testing to recent PFAS/PFOS regulation.

ASTM International’s metallic and inorganic coatings committee (B08) has developed a standard (B1026) on measurement of chromium and chromium alloy thickness.

According to Mark Schario, ASTM member and chief technology officer for surface finishing additive developer Columbia Chemical, this standard provides a new, valid method for measuring trivalent chrome. Schario notes that it comes as the industry moves away from decorative hexavalent chrome, due to recent environmental regulation of PFAS/PFOS compounds in this plating type. Equipment manufacturers, tier suppliers, and electroplaters are increasingly leaning into trivalent chrome plating as an alternative.

“Existing test methods using coulometric and X-ray for thickness measurement are inaccurate when evaluating chromium deposits from trivalent chromium plating solutions, due to its alloy properties,” says Schario. “This new standard has identified and uses a physical measurement, so alloying elements of the chromium deposit will not interfere when determining thickness.”

The effort indirectly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6 on clean water, by way of reducing PFAS/PFOS substances found in products using chrome. Currently, the committee is seeking test labs to help validate the standard for precision and bias.

Media Inquiries: Gavin O’Reilly, tel +1.610.832.9618; goreilly@astm.org
Committee Contact: Jennifer Tursi, tel +1.610.832.9653; jtursi@astm.org            

Release #11910

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