Annealing Behaviour of Electrodeposited Chromium

SUMMARYThe annealing behaviour of four chromium electrodeposits plated in solutions with and without additives was investigated with some of the material-characterization methods which were not used in earlier studies. One such method was the determination of the particle size and the microstrains from the broadening of X-ray diffraction lines. In the as-plated condition, the particle size determined the hardness and small variations in the microstrains were related to the oxygen content. In three of the deposits, the particle size increased and the microstrains decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The fourth deposit exhibited precipitation hardening after heating reaching a maximum hardness at about 500°C. The microstrains of annealed deposits were more directly related to the hardness than the particle size. Three deposits developed a<111> fibre texture. The fourth deposit had a <100> fibre axis. No different textures developed by annealing.