Allen Miskowiec is market manager, surface treatment, for Chemetall Americas, New Providence, NJ. He can be reached at 563.212.1432 or allen.miskowiec@chemetall.com.
Iron and zinc phosphating processes have been around for longer than many finishing professionals have been alive, and the reactions and bonding properties of these technologies are well understood. These processes require significant heat, generate tremendous sludge and can be a maintenance nightmare. A new phosphonate-based enhanced performance pretreatment (EPP) can be used at ambient temperatures to improve coating adhesion while providing considerable energy, water and labor saving