SELECTIVE ELIMINATION OF WASTE IN A METAL FINISHING OPERATION

CHROMATE CONVERSION COATINGS ARE ROUTINELY APPLIED TO CADMIUM IN ELECTROPLATING. THIS METAL FINISHING PROCESS GENERATES LARGE QUANTITIES OF HAZARDOUS HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM AND HEAVY-METAL WASTE. THIS IS A MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN. CONSEQUENTLY, AN ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN COATING FINISH IS PROPOSED AS A SUITABLE ALTERNATIVE TO THE CHROMAT CONVERSION COATING. THIS COATING WILL BE APPLIED USING THE UNIQUE DRY PLATING PROCESS DEVELOPED AT IONEDGE CORPORATION. THIS BENIGN MATERIAL WILL ELIMINATE CHROMIUM WASTE IN CADMIUM PLATING. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE DRY PLATING WILL ELIMINATE LIQUIDS, AND WILL IN SITU RECYCLE SOLID CADMIUM. IN THIS RESEARCH, THE FEASIBILITY OF APPLYING A DESIRED QUALITY OF THIS MATERIAL TO THE DRY PLATED CADMIUM WILL BE INVESTIGATED. VARIATION IN ITS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES RELATED TO THE PROCESSING CONDITIONS WILL BE STUDIED. A SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION OF THIS NEW CONCEPT COULD RESULT IN TOTAL ELIMINATION OF HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS IN A CADMIUM PLATING OPERATION. IN ADDITION, THE DRY PLATING WILL MINIMIZE SOLID WASTE.