Hexavalent chrome

Hexavalent chromium compounds are widely used in electroplating and metal treatment processing. They passivate the surface of zinc and zinc alloy electrodeposits with a thin film that provides end-user benefits such as colour, abrasion resistance, increased corrosion protection and a key for other coatings and paints. Hexavalent chromium is used directly in the electronics industry as an anti-corrosion material for the protection of the carbon steel cooling systems in absorption refrigerators (which carries an exemption under RoHS), and as corrosion protection for screws, nuts, chassis, and cabinets. It has become a standard steel treatment.

The difficulty for producers responsible for end-of-life electronics is that, for some large products with a significant non-electronic content, there may well be individual component parts that have been plated or treated in some way that means they contain hexavalent chromium. The challenge will be in identifying which, if any, components these are. To a similar extent this also applies to cadmium.