Latest News

On The Line Podcast Logo

PF On the Line Podcast Interviews Mark Schario on Decorative Trivalent Plating

May 13, 2021

Columbia Chemical Executive Vice President Mark Schario was interviewed by Products Finishing editor-in-chief Scott Francis for an episode of their On the Line Podcast to discuss the latest innovations in decorative trivalent chromium plating technology. …

Products Finishing 40-Under-40 nominee, standing in front of a Columbia Chemical logo

40 Under 40 Class of 2021: Mike Evans

April 27, 2021

Congratulations to our Lab Manager Mike Evans who was nominated and selected to be part of the Products Finishing 40 Under 40 Class of 2021 & is the lead featured nominee in the March 2021 …

no image available

Ask the Expert: Controlling Concentration of Trivalent Passivates by Calculating Drag-out

April 15, 2021

Stephen Roberts, Technical Support Representative, was a featured plating expert in a recent issue of Products Finishing magazine. Addressing a question about controlling the concentration of trivalent passivates to eliminate corrosion protection issues, Roberts covers …

Product Showcase: Introducing TriCOL® Reclaim

January 13, 2021

Innovation has arrived in Decorative Trivalent Plating with the introduction of Columbia Chemical’s TriCOL® Reclaim. The cost difference between hexavalent and trivalent chrome plating has always been a stumbling block for plating shops wanting to …

Chloride and Sulfate-Based Decorative Trivalent Plating

Ask the Expert Webinar: Comparing Operational & Performance Characteristics of Chloride and Sulfate-Based Decorative Trivalent Plating

October 8, 2020

This webinar will report on the extensive field studies outlining the performance, color stability, and corrosion results of chloride and sulfate-based decorative trivalent plating systems. Operational factors such as plating speed and anode cost/efficiency will …

no image available

Ask the Expert: How to Choose Between Sulfate and Chloride-Based Trivalent Chromium

August 28, 2020

There are several factors to consider when choosing between sulfate and chloride-based baths for trivalent chromium plating. Mark Schario of Columbia Chemical discusses the differences and what platers should keep in mind when evaluating options. …

no image available

Columbia Chemical Receives General Motors Decorative Plating Color Approvals

July 7, 2020

Columbia Chemical is pleased to announce the color approval of our TriCOL® Trivalent Chromium Plating Process.  Color style approval was granted for TriCOL Décor (white) to meet General Motors Color Master 495Y and TriCOL Blackjack to …

no image available

Ask the Expert: Summary Report on USCAR Field Test for Trivalent Chromium

March 1, 2020

Mark Schario from Columbia Chemical explains USCAR’s multiyear project to determine how various trivalent chromium systems would perform in the real world. This article was originally published in the March 2020 issue of Products Finishing …

no image available

Ask The Expert: Converting to Trivalent Chrome from Hexavalent

September 1, 2018

Although this requires an initial time and cost investment, Columbia Chemical’s Mark Schario says the benefits of trivalent over hexavalent quickly and increasingly overcome the drawbacks. Products Finishing Expert Clinic/Plating Mark Schario, Executive Vice President ~ …

no image available

Ask the Expert: Plating with Zinc-Nickel: Benefits and Challenges

November 1, 2020

Explaining the Benefits of Zinc-Nickel and Overview of Alkaline & Acid Zn-Ni Chad Murphy, Technical Account Manager, was recently featured in the Ask the Expert column in Products Finishing magazine. Read his Q & A clinic here where …

Pages: