Ionic liquids in plating industry:: opportunities and challenges

The sustainable future of the plating industry needs innovation. A number of new deposition techniques have been developed In recent years. Nevertheless, the plating industry still has considerable stability because of the relative simple process control and especially the long experience as a mature industrial sector in business and development. Environmental issues as well as new coating systems are things this business sector takes in its stride. The technology of ionic liquids presents new opportunities, but there are also some other intensive developments apart from this technology. The main challenge Is to develop absolutely new opportunities and to avoid competition with existing technologies. If it is possible to develop new systems with new properties on an industrial scale, then the technology of ionic liquids indeed will lead to a breakthrough in plating. Reproducible properties with high quality will lead to an acceptance of additional costs. The opportunities are indeed very promising because of the parallel high interest in ionic liquids in other industrial branches, especially in the chemical industry. © 2008 Institute of Metal Finishing.