Research Area

Surface Technology

Laboratory Electroplating

In the field of electrochemistry, numerous technologies for chemical and electrochemical surface treatment of light metals (aluminum, magnesium, titanium and their alloys), stainless steels and special materials (Dispal®, molybdenum and tungsten) have been developed in recent years.

The laboratory unit installed at INNOVENT for the surface treatment includes all related pre- and post-treatment processes in a closed chain, including a specially designed wastewater treatment plant. This enables the plasma chemical oxidation process, which is unique in Thuringia, to be raised to a higher level of quality and more complex tasks of chemical and electrochemical surface treatment to be dealt with. The necessary occupational safety and environmental protection is taken into account to the full extent.

The actual active treatment processes as well as the necessary pre- and post-treatment processes take place in the specially designed containers with the necessary supply and disposal connections. This makes it possible to carry out the following processes on a laboratory scale with a high degree of reproducibility, with the computer-supported recording of all relevant coating parameters and in compliance with existing legal requirements with regard to waste water problems:

 

  1. PCO® 12 black - highly absorbing and reflection-reducing layer for magnesium alloys
  2. PCO® 12 white - light-coloured, corrosion-inhibiting layer for magnesium alloys
  3. PCO® 13 black - highly absorbing and reflection-reducing layer for aluminum alloys
  4. PCO® 13 white - light, diffuse reflecting layer for aluminum alloys
  5. PCO® 22 black - highly absorbing and reflection-reducing black layer for titanium alloys
  6. PCO® 22 bio I - biocompatible coating for titanium alloys (CaP)
  7. PCO® 22 color - colored coatings on Ti alloys
  8. PCO® 35 black - highly absorbing, reflection-reducing layer on high silicon content aluminum casting alloys and conventional wrought alloys
  9. Electropolishing processes and electrochemical machining of metals such as copper alloys, stainless steel, magnesium alloys, tungsten and molybdenum
  10. Chemical metal deposition (preferably NiP) for a wide range of substrate materials (chemical copper deposition is also possible on request)

 

With the coating already in use, further coating properties can be derived for the following application areas:

  • Optical device engineering - highly absorbing and diffusely reflecting layers for light metal alloys
  • Laser technology - laser-resistant coatings of components made of light metal alloys
  • Automotive industry - corrosion protective coating for magnesium alloys
  • Medical technology - biocompatible and bioactive coatings for titanium and magnesium alloys

Overview of the Devices

Martin Teumer

Surface Technology
Team Leader
Electrochemistry

e-mail
Phone: +49 3641 20498 23