| Search our quarter-million Q&As |
Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989
-----Ecological phosphating for steel preparation?
1998
I would like to have some information about "ecological" (or environmental) phosphating for steel preparation before painting: nickel free phosphating, nitrite free phosphating... is there today some products available in the market for automotive applications (like trications phosphating)?
What is the general philosophy for the steel phosphating of the 21th century?
Yours sincerely
KEFFERSTEIN RonaldSollac
Dear sir,
We have an alternative method of Cleaning/Pickling of metal along with a protective coating, all in one dipping process in a non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable and water soluble product called "Picklex® [affil link]" (does not fall under any EPA or OSHA regulation). PICKLEX replaces the hazardous/toxic chemicals including phosphate coating from traditional cleaning/pickling process. Unlike traditional cleaning, Picklex makes the metal surface with zero rust and keeps it rust free for a very long period of time (in the dipping process there is no washing involved, the metal comes out with a protective coating, not getting any chance to rust). Also, it eliminates hazardous waste disposal, EPA & OSHA problems, and takes lot less time, saving labor, time and cost.
Thank you,
Ranjit Sen- Huntsville, Alabama
1997
1998
Ranjit,
How many hours in salt spray can you obtain with your Picklex process?

Sara Michaeli
Tel-Aviv-Yafo, Israel
To All
We have a curious problem with our coating. Sometimes when we have used a phosphate bath and then a chromate dry, orange marks appear on our steel. Do you know what this could be? (It isn't rust) Nicola
Nicola CassellsCassilon -
1999
Dear Mr KEFFERSTEIN,
Sorry I could not get back earlier. The salt spray hours passed for Painting was 1540 hours (manually done with automotive paint). Two separate tests were done. One by wire brushing the surface rust on a cold rolled steel and then doing the automotive paint job. The other one was, by dipping a hot rolled sheet metal with mill scale and some surface rust and then doing the paint job. If your painting is done by e-coating or powder coating, both the processes passed 1500 hours of salt spray (the surface preparation was done in four steps, degreasing, rinse, dip in Picklex® [affil link] at room temperature, rinse and then to e-coat or to powder coating process). Right now Picklex and the process are under testing/evaluation with US EPA (under Zero Rust Discharge Program), as a replacement of the hazardous/toxic chemicals from surface preparation and pre-treatment processes for any metal finishing. This will eliminate the phosphate and also if you are using any acid, from your surface preparation and pre-treatment process. Hope it answers your question. Best regards, R.Sen
Ranjit Sen- Huntsville, Alabama
1999
Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.
