Alternatives to chrome in the aluminium surface finishing industry.: Low environmental impact surface treatments

Chromates are one of the most commonly used compounds in anticorrosive protection systems because of its excellent rate efficiency/cost. In the case of aluminium alloys, these compounds are employed as inhibitors as well as in the anticorrosive pretreatments to develop protective films. However, chromates are highly toxic and its use involves a high risk for health and environment. Consequently, in the last years intensive efforts have been achieved in the surface treatment industry to find ecological alternatives to this kind of compounds. In this work, the main alternatives proposed in literature to substitute chromates in the surface treatments of aluminium alloys are reviewed. To begin with, the role of chromates in these systems and their environmental consequences has been briefly reviewed.