News on Corrosion Prevention and Paint Adhesion
LumiShield Proves Scaleability of Lumidize Technology
July 27, 2020. In the July, 2020 issue of Products Finishing, Editor-in-Chief Scott Francis explores the application of LumiShield’s aluminum-oxide coating, Lumidize®, which chemically binds to epoxy and urethane topcoats without the need for phosphate or primer. Read the story here.
Lumishield Team at Epiphany
February 7, 2020. The LumiShield technical team with the first electroplated part from the 100-gallon Lumidize plating line at Epiphany Solar Water Systems, Pittsburgh, PA. Epiphany designs and produces water purification and desalination systems powered by concentrated solar power.
USAF Recognizes Technology for Corrosion, Adhesion Performance
October 4, 2019. LumiShield Technologies, with the support of the SBIR program, has developed a technology to replace costly and environmentally detrimental paint/powder pretreatments that are based on heavy metals and phosphates. This achievement was recognized by AFRL and AFWERX with an SBIR Phase I award.
The goal of the Phase I project was to validate LumiShield’s Lumidize® technology within the Air Force for replacement of chrome-based pretreatments and develop a task-based approach toward development of the technology in Phase II. Working with Air Force partners, LumiShield aims to use Phase II to develop solutions to longstanding corrosion and coatings adhesion problems toward full deployment of the technology.
Major milestones in Phase II include proof of compatibility with steel and aluminum substrates and applicability of the process to on-site repair situations. Phase II is a two-year process.
According to John Watkins, PhD and LumiShield’s Senior Electrochemist, “The US Air Force maintains its combat edge through aircraft availability and robust maintenance. LumiShield’s Lumidize® platform is a perfect addition to the Air Force coatings arsenal, meeting lofty Air Force sustainability goals while improving aircraft readiness and decreasing maintenance costs.
“This partnership has been made possible by the innovative and forward-thinking AFWERX program,” he adds. “Through a unique SBIR opportunity, AFWERX has provided us the opportunity to give the Air Force a new weapon against corrosion; we are proud to support our armed forces in this fight.”
Lumidize® Now Officially a Registered Trademark of LumiShield
September 24, 2019. Lumidize®, a paint and powder coat pretreatment that replaces many traditional phosphates, chromates and primers, is now a registered trademark of LumiShield Technologies.
LumiShield is a “skunkworks” project-turned-spinoff from Carnegie Mellon and the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Founded in 2014, LumiShield’s single focus has been to develop and evolve an aluminum electroplating process that can effectively displace less sustainable (and often more costly) pretreatment options that are based on heavy metals and phosphates, and other environmentally problematic materials.
According to LumiShield President David Luebke, “securing the registered trademark is just the next step in formalizing what we bring to the marketplace in terms of effective, long-term corrosion prevention, and superior paint adhesion.” In beta sites, Lumidize has also made possible the elimination of some mechanical preparation, and substantial reductions in process cycles. Test results are available to qualified inquirers.
Lumidize plates aluminum oxide using a proprietary solution and process; the ≤ 0.1 mil electroplate forms a hard, protective barrier layer, which optimizes the adhesion of organic materials by chemically binding them to the substrate.
Lumidize binds to any conductive surface, and to epoxy and urethane topcoats.
LumiShield at Manufacturing & Technology Expo
March 27, 2019. LumiShield Technologies was a featured exhibitor at the Start-Up Pavilion during Industry Week’s Manufacturing and Technology Conference, April 1-3 at Pittsburgh’s David Lawrence Convention Center.
“M&T 2019” is unique among trade events, with three active stages (Master Class Theater, Product Launch Pad, and Autonomous Alley) and multiple continuous action, immersive education opportunities live on the expo floor. From robotics and augmented reality demos to an industrial fashion show for wearables, M&T 2019 was an excellent venue for Lumidize® coating.
CMU Spinoff to Provide Technology Boost to EU Steel Manufacturer
March 12, 2019. LumiShield Technologies has hosted the first of three Technology Review Sessions with development partners from the EU and Asia. The first meeting was held to determine the viability of using LumiShield’s patented anti-corrosion technology, Lumidize®, to protect steel without the use of heavy metals or phosphates.
The market for these coatings is conservatively valued (2018) at $16 billion (US) annually.
The presentation last week was conducted for Istanbul-based steel manufacturer, Borusan, whose primary interest is an alternative to galvanizing for steel used in construction. Discussions began with application of the coatings for next-generation steel alloys but ultimately expanded to a much broader portion of Borusan’s steel business. The delegation was led by Chief Executive Officer Erkan Kafadar and Director of R&D, B. Celal Seyalioglu (shown here with LumiShield CEO Dave Luebke (center) and CTO Hunaid Nulwala (far right.)
The companies have agreed to a joint engineering and market study to determine the size of the implementation opportunity in the Turkish market, followed by more in-depth talks to discuss details of an agreement.
Nulwala a Featured Speaker at SUR-FIN
March, 2019. LumiShield Chief Technology Officer Dr. Hunaid Nulwala was a featured speaker at SUR-FIN, an annual technical conference and trade show for the industrial finishing industry. It is sponsored by the National Association for Surface Finishing.
The talk was “Corrosion Resistant Direct-to-Metal Pretreatments for Improved Top-Coat Adhesion and Performance,” part of the conference’s Technology Track.
LumiShield Recognized for Dept. of Defense Corrosion Solution
February 12, 2019. LumiShield, a developer of aqueous, aluminum-based anti-corrosion processes, has been awarded a prestigious prize for its solution to brake component corrosion in Maritime Combatant Craft Medium Mk I boat trailers. The prize resulted from a challenge competition sponsored by TeamWERX.org. TeamWERX was established by the US Department of Defense to find novel solutions to problems faced by troops in the field.
The Mk I boat is a new addition to the Naval Special Warfare fleet: a multi-mission surface tactical mobility craft whose primary purpose is the extraction of special operations forces from threat environments. The Combatant Craft trailer is exposed to corrosion from sea water, and as a result, multiple brake components have caused the trailer brakes to seize or fail.
The competition objective was to identify a solution to prevent or significantly mitigate brake component corrosion, and allow for the unfettered operation of the brake system, while complying with Department of Transportation standards. Submissions also had to address the risks and potential payoffs of the option presented.
According to LumiShield Senior Electrochemist John D. Watkins, Ph.D. “LumiShield is grateful to the TeamWERX program for the opportunity to support the warfighter with cutting-edge corrosion-resistant coatings, and to work with DoD on this and other critical projects.”