Are we ready to face EU REACH regulation???

What is REACH regulation?

Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is a European Union regulation dated 18 December 2006. REACH addresses the production and use of chemical substances, and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment.

 For many years hard chrome plating (HCP) was an industrial standard process/mainstay of industrial coating for wear and corrosion protection, but due to the European REACH regulations the application of hard chrome plating will be highly regulated after 2017. So 2017 is not too far ! Depending heavily on HCP rods and safeguarding EU and US regulations mean chrome plating is incurring rising costs, extensive regulation and more paperwork. Under EU REACH, HCP use will be severely restricted and could be banned. A search has been led by the aerospace industry to find suitable alternatives.

 When it comes to hydraulic cylinder, hard chrome plating piston plays critical role for making cylinders and there is no doubt, its the best process available as on today, However the hexavalent chrome salts used to produce HCP pose extreme health and environmental hazards.

 A number of other alternatives to HCP are available including thermal spray, in particular high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) and emerging processes such as electroless nickel composite plating, explosive bonding, electrodeposited nanocrystal line cobalt-phosphorus alloys and physical vapour deposition (PVD) coatings. To date, HVOF and other spray coatings have been considered the best available alternative to HCP. Though HVOF is available and used in critical application, it’s a complex process and needs more care, as it’s a spraying process, the microstructure depends on numerous factors hence highly skilled, automated booth required so more investment and process cost.

 Many researchers are working to come up with real time alternative to HCP which would be better and less complex, keep watching and look for Intelligence coating process which will meet critical technical requirements.

 Look for the following key technical parameters when selecting alternate process to HCP for piston rod for hydraulic cylinder

• Micro cracked coating- this will provide better lubrication,
• Do not go for crack free coat- not good for hydraulic cylinder piston rod
• Suitable coating thickness(25 micron ++)
• Hardness HV 850-1000
• No Wax after coating
• Look for uniform coating,
• Look for Rating 10 NSS/ASS/CASS
• Ask for SCAB (Simulated Corrosion Atmospheric Breakdown) tests according with EN ISO 11474

 Look for the following processes, they are going to be real time solution to HCP, and I called them Intelligence coating

• Nano crystalline cobalt-phosphorus ,  nCop
• Hardide
• AS3P

Thanks a Million
Regards
Arif Mohammad
Mob. +91 9178075915, Whatsapp: +353 86 781 9993, Skype: mohammed.arif2601