Particle emissions from chrome plating

Abstract

Aerosol particles formed from the bursting of small gas bubbles emitted from the anode and cathode electrodes during electrolytic chrome plating were measured with a laboratory apparatus. The measured aerosol particle emission factors were about 5.15 mg particles/amp-hour or 3.81 mg Cr + 6 /amp hour. The cathode gases generated more particles on a gas volume basis with 20 mg particles/liter hydrogen gas evolved from the cathode compared to 1 mg particles/liter oxygen gas evolved from the anode. With about 35% more cathode hydrogen gas evolved than anode oxygen gas evolved and with the much greater particle emissions caused by the cathode hydrogen on a gas volumetric basis, the aerosol particle emissions from the cathode bubble bursting were about 97% of the total particle mass emissions. The particle size distributions measured from the cathode had a mass median aerodynamic diameter of about 38 μm whereas the anode mass median particle diameter was about 8 μm. The anode particle mass size distribution was bimodal with peaks at about 0.6 and 24 μm diameter. The cathode particle mass size distribution was trimodal with peaks at 2.5, 9, and about 60 μm diameter. Copyright © American Association for Aerosol Research.