{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,8]],"date-time":"2026-05-08T08:46:29Z","timestamp":1778229989265,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,12]],"date-time":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1613088000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Coatings"],"abstract":"<jats:p>PVD (physical vapor deposition) and CVD (chemical vapor deposition) have gained greater significance in the last two decades with the mandatory shift from electrodeposition processes to clean deposition processes due to environmental, public safety, and health concerns. Due to the frequent use of coatings in several industrial sectors, the importance of studying the chromium coating processes through PVD\u2013sputtering can be realized, investing in a real alternative to electroplated hexavalent chromium, usually denominated by chromium 6, regularly applied in electrodeposition processes of optical products in the automotive industry. At an early stage, experimental tests were carried out to understand which parameters are most suitable for obtaining chromium coatings with optical properties. To study the coating in a broad way, thickness and roughness analysis of the coatings obtained using SEM and AFM, adhesion analyzes with the scratch-test and transmittance by spectrophotometry were carried out. It was possible to determine that the roughness and transmittance decreased with the increase in the number of layers, the thickness of the coating increased linearly, and the adhesion and resistance to climatic tests remained positive throughout the study. Thus, this study allows for the understanding that thin multilayered Cr coatings can be applied successfully to polymeric substrates regarding optical applications in the automotive industry.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/coatings11020215","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,12]],"date-time":"2021-02-12T18:45:00Z","timestamp":1613155500000},"page":"215","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":51,"title":["Characterization of Thin Chromium Coatings Produced by PVD Sputtering for Optical Applications"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Andreia A.","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8570-4362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco J. G.","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"INEGI\u2014Instituto de Ci\u00eancia e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Engenharia Mec\u00e2nica e Engenharia Industrial, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 400, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Arnaldo G.","family":"Pinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"INEGI\u2014Instituto de Ci\u00eancia e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Engenharia Mec\u00e2nica e Engenharia Industrial, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 400, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Vitor F. C.","family":"Sousa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"American Chemistry Council (2020, December 21). Regulation (CE) n.o 1907\/2006 of the European Parlamient, 18th of December, 2006. Available online: https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/eli\/reg\/2006\/1925\/oj."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Comiss\u00e3o das Comunidades Europeias (2020, December 17). In An\u00e1lise Ambiental. (In Portuguese)."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Berhaus, B. (1993). Improvements in and Relating to the Coating of Articles by Means of Thermally Vaporized Material. (Nr. 510), UK Patent."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Baptista, A., Silva, F., Porteiro, J., M\u00edguez, J., and Pinto, G. (2018). 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