Decorative chrome plating is a treatment used to give an aesthetic plus to each element, making it pleasant from an aesthetic point of view and resistant from a functional point of view..
It is also widely applied in the automotive sector on both plastic and metal, especially on aluminum: door pull handles, paddle shift, dashboard inserts and door panels and other details that can generate a perception of greater value.
The production phase, however, is characterized by a series of aspects that make this process unsustainable as well as not allowing the recycling of the elements on which it is applied.. Think of aluminum artifacts, despite being a metal that can be recycled over and over again, this fundamental characteristic is lost due to the presence of overstocks that force or to inversion processes, highly energy-intensive, wasteful and polluting, or to disposal as special waste.
From the point of view of production it is estimated that they are needed beyond 15 liters of water per square meter of submerged surface, as well as a large amount of electricity, classified as raw material in the form of low voltage direct current obtained by rectifiers. Lastly, the thermal energy used to keep the solutions operational at certain temperatures.
Even more important are the chemicals needed to facilitate the electroplating process and the metals that are deposited, used both in massive form and in the form of salts and compounds.
Among these we have hexavalent chromium, considered one of the most important and dangerous environmental pollutants that, in case of accidental spills, thanks to the high solubility in water, it can spread over large areas. Think of the famous cause, brought against Pacific Gas & Electric nel 1993, for contamination withhexavalent chromium of the waters of the city ofHinkley inCalifornia for over 30 years, subject of the largest legal action of its kind, headed by Brockovich and Ed Masry. The energy giant was forced to pay the largest compensation in US history: 333 millions of dollars to more than 600 residents of Hinkley, episode that inspired in 2000 il film “Erin Brockovich”.
By law it is mandatory to switch to the so-called trivalent chromium variant (CrO3), less toxic and harmful. But also for this variant, important legislative changes are underway, pushed by the Reach Committee (with reference to the publication of 17 June 2022 by the CTACSub) which invite you to apply, wherever possible, suitable alternatives to this treatment.
Consequently, failure to grant authorization to use even trivalent chromium compounds, it would involve the complete compromise of the supply chain upstream of the manufacturing and assembly industries. The time has therefore come for industries and designers to start preparing, also with the help of those who have experience in the field of alternative treatments.
A fundamental contribution to the development of these solutions is due to Gian Luca Falleti, interpreter of nanotechnologies in the concrete world of industrial production.
Falleti tells us about his latest innovation, the Nalucoa treatmentt®, which also finds application in the automotive sector, following for example the philosophy espoused by the Stellantis Group.
The DS7 is the first car called "Chrome Detox", that is, it eliminates the chromed pieces both inside and outside, adds Falleti: "However, it is not necessary to deprive oneself of the aesthetic effect, just eliminate the unsustainable processes that make the pieces non-recyclable ".
The automotive sector is not only working on sustainable mobility but also on sustainable manufacturing, creating both assembly and disassembly lines (a new paradigm that we see already applied by the telephony giant Apple) allowing, to end-of-life meetings, to be recycled. Therefore every material and every treatment must allow the recycling of the pieces.
Hence the immediate need, by the entire automotive industry, to intervene on manufacturing processes through the use of enabling technologies such as Nalucoat®, a valid and viable alternative to traditional finishing treatments.
