Passivation of Chromium

Chromium is one of the few metals that has the property of passivation. Chromium will spontaneously react to form a thin layer of oxide that protects the metal against further corrosion. This surface is hard and nonreactive. This makes chromium ideal for electroplating other metals to protect them from oxidizing, and because of it's hardness, it is used to harden the surface of many objects, such as metal tools.