Chrome Plating - Fume Suppressant Information
Categories
Contact
Chrome plating facilities are subject to California’s Hexavalent Chromium Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Chrome Plating and Chromic Acid Anodizing Operations (Chrome ATCM). Facilities located in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) are also subject to Rule 1469. Many of California’s facilities are required to use a certified fume suppressant to meet hexavalent chrome emission limits. California maintains a list of approved fume suppressants which have undergone testing to meet hexavalent chromium emission standards.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) – Hard and Decorative Chromium Electroplating and Chromium Anodizing Tanks (40 C.F.R. Part 63, Subpart N (commencing with § 63.340), 77 Fed. Reg. 58219 (September 19, 2012)) sets a ban on the use of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in fume suppressants, effective September 21, 2015. As of this date, only fume suppressants containing PFOS had been certified for use in California; therefore, in September 2015 California facilities were granted a one-year extension to continue to use PFOS-based fume suppressants until September 21, 2016.
Since September 2016, five non-PFOS fume suppressants have been approved for specified chrome plate operations and are listed in the table below. Additional non-PFOS chemical fume suppressants will be added to the list as they become certified.
Chemical Fume Suppressants Approved for Use at Specific Surface Tensions
Table updated October 20, 2023
| Chemical Fume Suppressant and Manufacturer1 | Chrome Plating Application | Stalagmometer Measured Surface Tension (dynes/centimeter) | Tensiometer Measured Surface Tension (dynes/centimeter) |
|---|---|---|---|
Fumetrol 21 LF2® Atotech, U.S.A | Hard plating | < 30 | < 27 |
Dicolloy CRPF® ProCom LLC | Decorative plating and chromic acid anodizing | < 32 | < 29 |
HCA-8.4® Hunter Chemical LLC | Decorative plating and chromic acid anodizing | < 25 | < 22 |
HCA-8.4® Hunter Chemical LLC | Hard plating | < 33 | < 30 |
Macuplex STR NPFX® MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions | Decorative plating and chromic acid anodizing | < 32 | < 30 |
If you have questions regarding chrome plating operations outside of the SCAQMD please send us an email at Chrome Plating ATCM. Facilities located in the SCAQMD should contact Neil Fujiwara, Program Supervisor at (909) 396-3512 for information specific to their fume suppressant requirements.
- 1The products in this table do not contain PFOS and comply with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants – Hard and Decorative Chromium Electroplating and Chromium Anodizing Tanks (40 C.F.R. Part 63, Subpart N (commencing with 63.340), 77 Fed. Reg. 58219 (September 19, 2012)).