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Electrodeposited aluminum oxide can be applied to any metal and is compatible with paint chemistries, resulting in a sustainable, low-cost and versatile pretreatment.
About
LumiShield is developing a novel, super adhesive universal pretreatment for metals based on aluminum oxide electrodeposition. Using a unique aluminum salt, LumiShield can control the growth of thin aluminum oxide coatings on metals from water that form the ideal surface for corrosion resistance and paint adhesion. Since the process is driven electrically, the chemical solution is non-toxic for easy disposal and protects operators from exposure to toxic chemicals. The additional control using an electrically driven process also means that the same chemical solution can be used to treat any metal substrate and the morphology can be varied easily. By tuning electrical conditions the coating can be grown quickly or slowly to a given specification without chemical additions and with minimal bath maintenance.
Key Benefits
The advantages of the Lumidize platform for aluminum alloys include: • Versatility – Any metal surface can be coated and used with a range of paint resins. • Performance – Improved performance of paint adhesion to any aluminum alloy. • Lightweighting – Lightweight coating that allows improved performance with fewer paint layers. • Sustainability – Non-toxic chemistry with no solid waste and non-toxic liquid and rinse waste that can be disposed of easily. • Low-Cost – Low materials and waste costs compared to current pretreatments.
Applications
The Lumidize coating is a platform technology with broad applicability to a range of market sectors. The initial target market is as a pretreatment replacement for phosphate and chromate where metals are chemically treated prior to paint for improved adhesion and corrosion resistance. • Oil & Gas - In the oil and gas industry corrosive environments are commonly encountered due to atmospheric exposure as well as materials handling of brine solutions and corrosive chemicals. When combined with appropriate paints, Lumidize can protect steel assets from corrosive damage internally and externally. • Defense – Department of Defense require repair technologies that are non-chrome and high performance and can be used to repair legacy equipment with minimal surface prep and no disassembly. To meet this need LumiShield has established proof-of-concept for a tankless repair varient that can be deployed in the field. • Aerospace - The aerospace industry relies primarily on protecting aluminum alloys from corrosion. This is currently achieved using chromium based coatings and pretreatments. Lumidize can replace chrome based pretreatments while improving adhesion to existing paint systems. In future Lumidize may also for the basis for new lightweight coating systems for improved fuel efficiency. • Automotive - The automotive industry relies on zinc phosphate pretreatments on steel which are less effective on aluminum alloys that are increasingly used to reduce vehicle frame weight. Lumidize can be effectively coated onto steel and aluminum simultaneously, improving performance on both while also permitting greater use of aluminum in frames towards lightweighting efforts.