A safe and environmentally friendly funtional coating alternative to hard chrome

The goal with this project is to develop a safe and environmentally friendly coating process for replacing hard chrome with good protection against corrosive and mechanical wear for coating surfaces on moulding tools, components, and machine parts. We want to use the physical evaporation technology (PVD), which is much more environmentally friendly than the current galvanizing process used to deposit hard chromium, including chemicals that are hazardous to personnel and the environment.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Danish and International companies, where Aalborg University is responsible for investigating and characterizing the properties of the fabricated coatings. The goal is to achieve a deep understanding of both microscopic (to the atomic and crystallographic level) and macroscopic mechanical properties of the coatings.

Surface treatment, industrial manufacture