Conventional hard chrome deposits are highly stressed and exhibit a pattern of cracks on a microscopic level. These cracks vary in size, width and density due to differences in bath chemistry and the plating parameters used. These cracks can be detrimental in certain situations. Corrosion occurs when service conditions expose the deposit to an environment that is aggressive to the substrate. The cracks serve as passageways for the atmosphere to gain access to the base metal. In fact, corrosion cells are formed at the bottom of these cracks, which accelerates the corrosion. It is common for these corrosion cells to form at two nearby cracks which actually undermine the deposit. The resulting flaking off of the coating is sometimes mistaken for poor adhesion when it is actually a corrosion problem associated with the natural crack structure.