Process for the treatment of metal surfaces by electro-deposition of metal coatings at high current densities

Process for the treatment of metal surfaces to produce a substantially crack-free surface having a hardness factor in excess of 1500 HV by electro-deposition of chromium at current densities in excess of 100amp/dm.sup.2 utilizing electrodes extending into a plating bath where the bath contains an aqueous solution having chromium therein comprising the steps of including in the bath a compound having a complex halogen which disassociates in an aqueous solution while maintaining the bond of halogen in the complex, applying a base voltage across the electrodes which is larger than the precipitation potential of the deposited chromium and smaller than the precipitation of hydrogen in the plating bath, and periodically superimposing high voltage pulses on the base voltage wherein the high voltage pulses are 3 to 7 times greater than the base voltage.