Environmentally Friendly Chrome Plating Technology Developed At Innovation Park At Notre Dame In South Bend, Indiana

Trion Coatings, LLC (Trion) based out of Innovation Park at the University of Notre Dame, has developed an environmentally friendly alternative to prevailing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) to help affected manufacturers and metal surface finishers manage the September 2017 sunset date established by REACH. This alternative replaces Cr(VI) with trivalent chromium (Cr(III)) and uses an ionic liquid chemistry developed by the staff scientists at Trion to electroplate both decorative and hard chrome coatings.

South Bend, Indiana (PRWEB) -

The Value Proposition:
Electroplated materials currently coated with the Cr(VI) method have industrial applications in the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, steel, aluminum and defense industries. Cr(VI) methods require care and involve high expense in their application to comply with strict regulatory standards, as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health considers Cr(VI) compounds to be carcinogens.

Using benign ionic liquid-based chemistry, a team led by researchers from Neo Industries and Ionic Liquid Solutions, who later formed a joint venture, Trion Coatings, LLC engineered a patent pending process using Cr(III) ionic liquids to electroplate chrome coatings. Unlike Cr(VI) processes, the Trion Cr(III) process does not produce noxious vapors or mists

Dr. Patrick Benaben, senior scientist at Trion and principal inventor of the Trion Cr(III) process, stated: “After years of research both in France and now with our partners at Ionic Liquid Solutions LLC, we developed an alternative to Cr(VI) that holds the promise to exceed the performance standards of Cr(VI) for commercial applications while avoiding the carcinogenic risks associated with current methods.” Kevin Walsh, President of Neo Industries stated: “The deployment of Trion Cr(III) affords industry the opportunity to reintroduce chrome plating to many products that had resorted to inferior alternatives because of the cost and regulatory framework associated with Cr(VI). Trion will soon engage a series of strategic partners to globally deploy this environmentally benign technology across industry sectors.”

Dr. Patrick Benaben Ph.D. and Dr. Mauricio Quiroz-Guzman Ph.D. serve as Senior Scientists for Trion Coatings and are co-inventors of the patent application behind the science.

Key Principals:
Trion Coatings, LLC is a Joint Venture company between Neo Industries, a subsidiary of Chicago based The Heico Companies, LLC, and Ionic Liquid Solutions, LLC, an ionic liquids innovator located in South Bend, Indiana.

Neo Industries (http://www.neodelivers.com) is the world leader in surface technology for work rolls. Neo pioneered work roll plating in 1956 and currently operates 13 production facilities around the globe, primarily supporting the steel and aluminum industries.

Ionic Liquid Solutions (http://www.ionicliquidsolutions.com) is a research, development and technology transfer company owned by Middleburg Capital Development, LLC (http://www.mcapd.com). Using inventive ionic liquid chemistry licensed from The University of Notre Dame as its foundation, ILS is developing commercial products for the refrigeration industry.