#	Pagina
attuale pagina	/open-h2020/projects/217161/results.html

Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - freeCr6plat (Chrome plating without toxic Cr(VI). An ecofriendly electroplating for automotive plastic parts.)

Teaser

Summary

freeCr6Plat is an advanced technology that aims to eliminate the use of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in the plating process of materials. freeCr6Plat will directly plate a wide variety of plastic surfaces. Hexavalent chromium is a proved carcinogenic, toxic and hazardous for the environment material, but there are not currently competitive technologies to plate plastic parts without using this chemical. freeCr6Plat wants to be the alternative solution for plating without Cr(VI), due to the use of the same installations and the few modifications implied in the new developed process.

The main objectives of freeCr6Plat are:

- Eliminate the use of hexavalent chromium from the surface pre-treatment process.
- Direct metallisation without using expensive palladium catalysts.
- Reduce the use of electroless nickel, creating savings for the companies.
- Reduce wastewater and chemicals as total change in the steps involved.
- Great flexibility in plating different types of polymers such as ABS, ABS/PC, PVC...
- The pre-treatment open a window to be used in other process that are needed certain conductivity like painting or printing.

Work performed

During the first year of the project, Avanzare has focused from a technical point of view in adapt the developed technology to industrial scale. Multiple trials have been developed to understand the best conditions used for each step in terms of concentration of the product, temperature and/or time. Based on the optimization results, Avanzare has developed a trial at bigger scale. Also, the waste water treatment is being studied to define the best methodology to process the leftovers of this process.

The company is starting to prepare the certification of the product against automotive standards. Different trials are needed to be developed with the samples prepared with the treatment. Also, Avanzare is starting to define which steps are needed to comply with the REACH regulatory.

Avanzare is also working in creating the market of the product, using different strategies to place the product in the market. Apart from the market acceptance, we have done different activities related to dissemmination and exploitation like creating the webpage and continuing with the patenting process.

Final results

Current plating technologies implies the use of multiple steps to create the final aspect of the finishing. The key step is the etching process where the plastic surface is activated in order to be attached to other metals and create a conductive coating needed for the electroplating of the plastic part.

The technology developed in freeCr6Plat goes beyond the state of the art, using alternative materials to chromium VI to develop the etching process of plastic materials. The following steps are also modified by including other type of additives less hazardous for the environment. At the end of the project is expected to have a product ready for market launch, that will be used as an alternative to conventional plating of plastic parts, but with a reduction of toxic wastes, water consumption and most cost-effective.

freeCr6Plat is aligned with REACH regulations, that want to forbid the use of chromium VI as soon as alternative technologies appear in the market, and our development are paving the basis to launch to the market the new product.