Vacuum Metallization???

[clab]

I jumped into this as I thought it might be about the sort of vacuum deposition I know about and use. In a high vacuum, you can use tungsten wire to evaporate, say aluminum, which will stick to just about anything. It acts pretty much like light rays (they go out in all directions, fade as square law), only these are aluminum. If done properly, the part is coated very quickly and with little heating. The process is used for telescope mirrors and other cool optics, for example.

[DALE]

Clab very interesting tidbit. Would you mind e-mailing me your number? I would like to discuss this process further with you.

[Wkillgs]

The process is known as 'Physical Vapor Deposition' (PVD), or 'Thin Film Coating'....
The part is placed in an air-tight chamber, the air is pumped out of the chamber, producing a vacuum. This is done to remove contaminates which are found in air...and also reduces the vapor point (boiling point) of the material being used to coat the part.
The coating material in this case is aluminum....which will produce a chrome-like finish. The aluminum is heated until it boils and evaporates....this aluminum vapor 'cloud' will then coat your part, producing a mirror finish. A clear coat can then be applied to protect the metal film....either by vaporizing quartz via the same method. or by dipping or spraying the part with a clear coat.
This process is better suited to parts which won't be handled, as the coating isn't very thick....but a thicker clear coat can be applied to improve durability.....Maybe even powder coating
It's a neat process....I was in the field for 11 years.
A company called Mr G's Enterprises offers a plastic 'chroming' service. Goto http://www.mrgusa.com/faq.htm for more info....

[Easley]

Vacuum Metalization is a process whereby plastics, such as ABS plastics, can be coated with a metal. such as aluminum. The plastic part to be plated is prepared and placed in a vacuum chamber. The aluminum is placed in a crucible inside the chamber where it is heated to the extent that it vaporizes The plastic part is connected to the (negative I think) side of a high voltage source. The positive metal ios then deposit on the surface of the plastic. After deposition is complete and while still under vacuun, the deposited metal must be coated with some kind of protective coating to prevent oxidation.

[jtagger19]

silva spray is nothing like chrome or silver it's only use is to make non conductive parts condictive so that they can be plated
silvaspray can't be polish either .
and it doesn't work on powder coating it doesn't tolarate the heat and bubbles up really bad , learn this the hard way

there is a place that sells a chrome in sprayform called chrome fx and mirra chrome www.alsacorp.com but I was advise not to trust them
but still it looks like real chrome .