Need aluminum coating that is ROHS compliant

[EE354]

We have a chassis that currently has aluminum sides with a clear iridite finish. We've been told that this finish can no longer be used in order to comply with the Restriction of Hazardous Substance (ROHS)directive in Europe. This directive says that any new electrical and electronic equipment must not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The coating we use needs to be conductive for EMI reasons and fairly durable. Clear is preferred for aesthetic reasons. Any suggestions on an alternate coating?

 

[swall]

Henkel makes some Alodine conversion coatings that are chrome free. North American phone is (800) 521-6895. They also have a website that is not particularily useful.
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http://www.hstna.com>

 

[EE354]

I found the answer to my question. Trivalent chromium. This is currently offered by Metalast under the name TCP-HF.

 

[edrush]

Thanks for following up and sharing the wealth.

 

[halogen]

If you are looking for corrosion protection, Trivalent is not as good as Hexavalent. I've been researching alternatives to Chromic Acid Anodize, Type 1 for 7075-T6 aluminum parts and everything so far points to compromises when you switch. Anyways, I would not limit myself to Trivalent alone. There are alot of companies out there coming up with new (proprietary) coatings to get around RoHS...

 

[halogen]

Also, check out this thread in Eng-Tips. It may have some bearing for you:

Conductive coating on aluminium?