Originally Posted by
Kilroy1988
(SNIP)There are numerous alternatives to hexavalent chromium, and in particular trivalent chromium, which also produces excellent results and is already widely used in the industry and will not be banned in the foreseeable future. Many chrome shops in California already use or offer trivalent chrome finishes.(SNIP)
Full disclosure - I have a background in electroplating. I've run maintenance on "triple-chromium" plating lines (misnomer) used for production of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts. This includes hexavalent and trivalent chromium plating baths and all the other associated preps and plating baths that go with them.
Sure, trivalent chromium is an option. It's not a great one if you're trying to duplicate an original vintage finish, though, because it looks different from hex chrome. The finish is blue in hue. Vintage hex-chrome finishes are brighter and more reflective when all other prep work is the same.
And tri-chrome solutions are more difficult to work with. The plating bath has to run through an ion-exchange bed periodically. It's sensitive about contamination, and therefore subject to staining and water-marks. By contrast, hex chrome solutions give good results even if the prep work isn't perfect.
As for the environmental concerns that California has, the plating shop still needs to use concentrated acid and alkaline solutions, nickel plating baths, acid and cyanide copper plating solutions, and multiple rinse tanks - all of which need to be maintained, none of which can be discharged into the sanitary sewer or the environment. It's unlikely Prop 65 expansion is making anything better for the citizenry, since they were never at risk to begin with.
The Atala Record Pro 101 in my collection was plated by untrained chimpanzees someplace in Italy, so the finish is scabbing off. The frame and fork are going to be sandblasted and painted or powder-coated. New chrome would cost way more than the frame-set is worth. Good chrome finishes are well worth saving, though.