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POLISHING

Metal can be polished to get smooth and shiny surface with a significant reflection.
To sustain fine appearance and prevent oxidation, applying oil, lacquer or other consequent surface finishing processes is needed.

	POLISHED STEEL
	After being polished, steel products are burr-free with dark silver metallic luster. Anti-rust oil provides limited resistance of oxidation in most economical cost.

	PB, POLISHED BRASS
	Solid brass products are splendid and gorgeous. Polishing sharpens original golden metallic luster of brass. Applying lacquer enhances the brightness and prevents tarnishing over time.

ORGANIC COATING

Coating uses organic or inorganic materials on the surface of products.
The purpose of coating is to improve appearance or protection.
Organic coating is coated with material containing carbon compounds.
Sometimes, people may use "coating" as "organic coating" for short.

	POWDER COATING
	Powder in designated color flows and forms a layer on surface of product after being applied electro-statically and then baked. It can produce thick coatings without running or sagging.

	LIQUID COATING
	Liquid in designated color which is applied to surface of product in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. It can get thin and fine surface but volatile organic solvents are normally used in process.

	ELECTROPHORETIC DEPOSITION, ELECTROCOATING, E-COATING, EPD
	EPD is similar to electroplating although, instead of deposition from solution, particles are deposited from suspension. It is possible to produce either thin or thick films of very consistent thickness, even on the surface of irregularly shaped products that traditional powder coating and liquid coating cannot achieve brilliant performance.

	HYDRO IMAGING
	This technique is to transfer a thin printed film to the surface of product by the mean of water. It is able to print many patterns such as woods, stones, marbles, metals and other designed looks onto three-dimensional objects.

PLATING

By the means of chemical, electro-chemical, mechanical or electro-mechanical methods, coating with a metallic deposit is called plating.
Electro-chemical method is most popular and economical.
Various metallic appearances are available, no matter in shiny bright or dull satin.

	ZP, ZINC PLATED, US2C
	Relatively inexpensive zinc plating prevents oxidation of the protected metal by forming a Zinc Oxide barrier. Chromate passivation is usually applied to enhance the effect and change color. Blue and white is normal if not noted. Trivalent chromium is gradually replacing traditional hexavalent chromium due to health care.

	YZP, YELLOW ZINC PLATED
	One typical finish comes from chromate passivation after zinc plating. It can achieve colorful yellow finish. Trivalent chromium is gradually replacing traditional hexavalent chromium due to health care.

	BP, BRASS PLATED, US3
	Lustrous and highly desirable yellow color plating produces a super bright brass finish. Brass plated steel and zinc alloy are economical substitutes for solid brass, which is relatively expensive.

	SB, SATIN BRASS, US4
	Satin brass finish is solid brass or brass plating that has been dulled and lacquer coated. Compared with glary metallic luster, satin process makes product a modest look. Satin brass is sometimes referred to as brushed brass, which looks similar.

	BRUSHED BRASS
	Solid brass or brass plating with several small scratches all running in the same direction is called brushed brass. It retains some metallic luster and is given a pattern of very fine lines. Sometimes, it is labeled satin brass, which has dull appearance, too.

	AB, ANTIQUE BRASS
	Antique brass finish is solid brass or brass plating which has been chemically darkened and brushed to simulate aged brass. Antique brass is typically a medium brown with golden undertones.

	FLORENTINE BRONZE, FB
	Florentine bronze finish is bronze plating which has been chemically darkened and brushed to simulate aged bronze.

	OIL RUBBED BRONZE, ORB, US10B
	Oil Rubbed Bronze finish is a chemically darkened surface designed to simulate aged bronze. This finish is usually very dark and has copper undertones. It is not easy to keep consistency in process, so color might vary from a deep chocolate brown to a dark gray

	CHROME PLATED, CP, US26
	Chromium plating over nickel plating forms a bright finish which is easy to clean and does not tarnish. Nickel underneath affords rust protection.

	SATIN CHROME, SC, US26D
	Satin chrome is chrome plating that has been dulled and lacquer coated. Compared with glary metallic plating, satin process gives product a modest look. Satin chrome is sometimes referred to as brushed chrome, which looks similar.

	BRUSHED CHROME
	It's chrome plating with brushed fine lines running in the same direction The brushing gives a distinctive luster of very fine lines. Sometimes, it is labeled satin chrome, which has dull appearance, too.

	NICKEL PLATED, NP, US14
	Nickel plating provides a thin layer of nickel onto metal products. Bright nickel layer is decorative and provides corrosion resistance.

	SATIN NICKEL, SN, US15
	Satin nickel is nickel plating that has been dulled and lacquer coated. Compared with glary metallic plating, satin process gives product a modest look. Satin nickel is sometimes referred to as brushed nickel, which looks similar.

	BLACK NICKEL
	To produce a non-reflective surface for decorative purposes, black nickel plating is typical but does not offer much protection.

	BRUSHED NICKEL
	It's nickel plating with brushed fine lines running in the same direction. The brushing gives a distinctive luster of very fine lines. Sometimes, it is labeled satin nickel, which has dull appearance, too

	ANTIQUE PEWTER, AP, PW, US15A
	Antique pewter finish is nickel plating on brass which has been dulled and darkened to simulate pewter. Sometimes, this finish is referred to as pewter or antique nickel.

GALVANIZING, GALV

GALV stands for galvanizing which deposits rich zinc on metal surface.
It provides a protective sacrificial zinc layer to overcome corrosion.
Hot dip galvanizing and mechanical galvanizing are two popular finishes used in hardware.

	HOT DIP GALVANIZING, H.D. GALV
	It's the process of coating steel with a zinc layer, by passing the metal through a molten bath of zinc. A dull grey but strong zinc carbonate forms on surface after left zinc bath and exposed to the atmosphere. It protects wrapped steel and prevents corrosion. This is especially suitable for products used in harsh environments.

	MECHANICAL GALVANIZING, M. GALV,
	Mechanical galvanizing applies to coatings that are thicker than 0.025 mm. It can avoid hydrogen embrittlement problems and achieve high resistance of corrosion for outdoor use. Commercialized coating powders are pure zinc and tin-zinc alloy.

OXIDIZING

Oxidizing is coating by conversion of the surface of the base material to an oxide by addition of oxygen or removal of hydrogen.

	BLACKENING, BLACK OXIDE
	It is a conversion coating for metal. It can be used to add mild corrosion resistance and for better appearance. Oil or wax must be applied to achieve higher corrosion resistance. An advantage over other coatings is its zero dimensional impact because it creates only a layer of about a micrometer thick.

	ANODIZING
	Anodic films are most commonly applied to protect aluminum alloys from corrosion and wear. It is called "anodizing" because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electrical circuit. Anodic films can absorb dyes or with thin transparent coatings that add interference effects to reflected light.

VACUUM APPLIED COATING, VAC

Vacuum Applied Coating(VAC) is operated in a vacuum to deposit an adherent, dense, thin film coating.
Among these methods, PVD (physical vapor deposition) is widely used for high-endhardware in recent years.

	PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION, PVD
	PVD stands for physical vapor deposition, a vaporization coating process whereby coating metallic ions are transferred to another material. The result is a dense, high-quality coating that is highly resistant to wear and discoloration.