The launch meeting for the ECO-PROTECT project, “Development of an ECO-friendly PROTECTion for aerospace aluminium parts” took place at the CIDETEC Surface Engineering installations last 18 July.

The ECO-PROTECT Project, approved in the Eurostars-2 competitive call, purports to develop and characterise Cr(VI)-free surface treatments to protect aluminium alloys used in the aerospace industry. The so-called alternative treatments include pre-treatment, which will play a fundamental role in using these alternatives.

Since there is no single coating solution for different geometries and applications, it proposes to develop and validate two coatings: on the one hand, a thin organic primer for complex geometries, and on the other, a chrome-free organic primer for spraying, to coat large parts. Both options will have to meet aerospace requirements, largely for external application.

This project, spear headed by FINITEC ELECTRÓLISIS S.L. (Madrid), boasts the added participation of CHEMPLATE MATERIALS S.L. (Barcelona), RESCOLL (France) and STILZ-CHIMIES.A. (France), as well as the subcontracted assistance of CTME (Miranda de Ebro) and CIDETEC (San Sebastián). Financed by CDTI in Spain and BPI in France (by international inter-company call), the project has a budget of € 1,506,880 and a timeline of 30 months.