energy
Mechanical Vapor Recompression Evaporation
MVRE is underutilized in the treatment of industrial wastewaters that are typical of metal fabricating and finishing industries. Increasing energy costs, rapidly decreasing freshwater resources, and growing sensitivity towards the environmental impact of industrial management practices are the driving forces in the development of more sustainable technology.
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Non-chromated Conversion Coating for Magnesium Alloys and Zinc-Nickel Plated Steel
A novel hexavalent chromate-free conversion coating was developed to improve anti-corrosion and adhesive-bonding characteristics of the magnesium alloys and zinc-nickel (Zn-Ni) plated steel substrates. The corrosion behavior of the coated and uncoated alloys was investigated by neutral salt fog (NSF) and electrochemical corrosion tests. Surface wettability of the pretreated substrates was investigated by static contact angle measurements. Wet-tape adhesion tests verified that there is strong adhesion between the primer and the chem film-treated substrates. The morphology and composition of the coated surfaces were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) methods. This trivalent chromium-based surface treatment is a potential hexavalent chromate conversion coating replacement for magnesium alloys and Zn-Ni plated steel.
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Steamed Over Heating Costs? Try Gas For Your Finishing Shop
The cost of natural gas in the U.S. is at record lows—about where the rates were in the mid-1970s—causing many in the plating industry who need to heat tanks to search for alternative avenues to curtail their rising energy costs.
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Gas And Oil Platers Are Striking Black Gold in Texas
Houston Plating & Coatings and CEO Bill Howard are reaping the boom in oil and gas industry by running at capacity in its Houston plant, expanding capacity at its Humble plant by 50 percent, and building a new, 80,000-sq-ft plant in Louisiana that will cost $9 million and employ 120 workers when completed later this year.
Read MoreArc Flash PPE Selection
I’ve been hearing a lot about arc flash protection lately, but I’m not sure if it applies to our operation and, if so, what the requirements are for providing personal protective equipment under this standard. I know it has something to do with our electrical power supply and equipment. Can you help clarify?
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Hempel Wins Technology Award for Wind Turbine Coatings
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards honor achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development
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NASF Washington Forum Features Ex-EPA Chief Carol Browner As Speaker
As the longest-serving EPA Administrator, Browner worked closely with the surface finishing industry during the Clinton Administration on the Metal Finishing "Strategic Goals" Program. She most recently served as an assistant to President Obama and director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy.
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Positive Energy Growth
Chrome Deposit Corp. reduces its energy use, minimizes its environmental impact and improves its energy-management practices.
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Characterization of Electroless Deposition of Ni-P-Al2O3 and Ni-P-TiO2 from Alkaline Hypophosphite Baths in the Presence of Gluconate as a Complexing Agent
Electroless deposition of Ni-P-Al2O3 and Ni-P-TiO2, in the presence of gluconate as a complexing agent, on copper substrates was studied. The dependence of the composite formation on different plating variables was investigated. The deposited coatings were characterized using different techniques, including energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), hardness and corrosion resistance testing. The amount of particles incorporated in the coatings increased with increasing particle concentration in the bath. However, the particle size greatly affected the amount incorporated. The addition of these particles changed the microstructure of the Ni-matrix, and enhanced the hardness and corrosion resistance.
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New Coating Could Mean Cheaper Solar Cells
An MIT website says a novel way to make thin, uniform coatings developed at Rice University could reduce the cost of making conventional silicon solar cells, and could open the way for new kinds of solar cells that are far more efficient or cheaper than conventional ones.
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