Sustainable Solutions for Green Buildings Q’s and A’s

Q. How should chromium-free chemical concentrations be tested in the lab, and what standards must be followed?

Depending on the product, this can be done through acid titration, conductivity, or density measurement. Often, the data can be found in the Technical Data Sheet (TDS).

Q. What are the main barriers to switching from using hexavalent chromium to using chromium-free?

Collaboration across the industry or value chain is required to remove hexavalent chromium from pretreatments, primers, and coatings. The only barrier is the cost, which is slightly higher.

Q. How effective are chromium-free surface protections compared to solutions that contain hexavalent chromium?

The passivation effect is identical. The performance of the pretreatment will depend on the specific paint system in use. Qualicoat specifications and norms (e.g. for aluminum) are the same for chromium-free and hexavalent chromium systems.

Q. Is TOC available in chromium-free (anti-finger organic coating)?

Henkel has a range of chromium-free TOCs.

Q. Mr. Sanjay, do you know of any Saudi government initiatives that have been conducted to support Neom Vision 2030, such as chromium-free pretreatments for PPGI?

There are no such initiatives yet, except for passivation chemicals where only trivalent chromium will be accepted starting from January 1, 2023.

Q. What makes Henkel unique in terms of sustainability compared to competitors in the same industry?

Our wide range of technologies and end-applications enables us to collaborate with customers to make a significant positive impact for sustainability. We have a highly ambitious strategy for sustainability, and Henkel provides end-to-end solutions that boost sustainability.

Q. What is the benchmark weight for chromium-free compounds? What are the elements referring to SMED/ XRD analysis?

This is product and application dependent and is usually stated in a product’s Technical Data Sheet (TDS).

Q. In the context of Mr. Sanjay’s comments about the performance of chromium-free solutions compared to solutions containing chromium: How is Henkel leading innovation to meet technical requirements and demands?

Henkel has vast experience of developing chromium-free pretreatments. One example is our collaboration with metal and paint suppliers in the EU during the 1990s. In addition, Henkel is involved in various fields of metal pretreatment (architectural, automotive, general industry, metal packaging). Our global team of product developers leverage this wide-ranging experience.

Q. Mr. Mansoor, is Qualicoat driving any initiatives as a standard to support global sustainability such as the switch from hexavalent chromium to chromium-free solutions?

Qualicoat is a neutral association that implements standards approved by the technical organization – regardless of whether they contain chromium or not, as long as they comply with quality requirements. Currently, there are already approved chromium-free technologies available, including the one from Henkel.

Q. What is the long-term impact of using chromium-free solutions instead of solutions that contain hexavalent chromium for pre-painted coils?

Chromium-free pre-painted steels were introduced in the EU during the 1990s. Several decades of experience now shows the good long-term performance of these systems.

Q. Many chemicals are considered harmful for the environment, so are alternatives available to convert chemicals into usable materials that are good for the environment?

As part of Henkel’s efforts to preserve nature and biodiversity, we are actively looking at the circular use of raw materials.

Q. What are the surface tension levels for chromium-free solutions and solutions that contain hexavalent chromium?

This data is not available at the moment, but we are working to collect this information.

Q. The REACH initiative’s list of chemicals of concern keeps growing. As a chemical manufacturer, what are your comments on this trend?

It remains important to keep track of legislation because it is a very dynamic environment. Regulation on SOCs is getting stricter, but there also seems to be more differentiation (e.g. not simply setting products on a "ban list").

Q. Are there any bio-based pretreatment chemicals available?

Metal pretreatments are still largely based on inorganic chemistry, which is not bio-based. The challenge here would be to develop a polymer that is bio-based and can offer the same performance without inorganics.

Q. According to an article, a US-based steel manufacturer recently declared: "U.S. steel doubles warranty period for galvalume coated coils.” Will this be possible with chromium-free solutions?

Doubling the warranty of pre-painted steel is very challenging. Specific requirements would need to be aligned with the steel manufacturer to see what kind of lab results would be needed to allow such an extension of the warranty period.