Army Recognizes Lumidize in National Competition
PITTSBURGH — LumiShield Technologies, developer of the Lumidize® family of adhesion-promoting, corrosion-resistant coatings for metal substrates, has been named a Phase I finalist and shared its pretreatment technology solution with experts and customers at xTechSearch, in Austin, Texas.
LumiShield was one of 48 Phase I companies chosen from more than 300 applications; 24 of those will be elevated from Phase II, and will receive $10,000 in funding and promotional considerations at AUSA Global Force Symposium and Exposition, March 17-19, one of the Army’s most important annual conferences.
According to LumiShield Senior Chemist Dr. John Watkins, “LumiShield’s plan is to tailor its Lumidize electroplating process for the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) program as an undercoat to maximize paint adhesion and prevent corrosion.” Winners from Phase III will be announced in late March.
Lumidize is a proprietary aqueous process that plates aluminum oxide onto conductive substrates. The resultant electroplate (0.1 mil or less) forms a hard, tenacious barrier layer, maximizing the adhesion of organic materials and improving corrosion resistance. Lumidize is equivalent to trichrome passivate for aluminum alloys, up to 1000 hours of salt spray. It is a fully functional replacement for phosphates and primers when applied prior to paint or powder coating on steel, withstanding 1500 hours of salt spray with no scribe delamination.
In addition to functioning as an advanced pretreatment, Lumidize is a stand-alone coating. With the application of seals, the finish can be hydrophilic or hydrophobic. Its low toxicity, dyeable formula gives product designers significant freedom in tailoring finishes for performance and aesthetic effect.
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