Faraday Tech, home to CESE alumni, nets award from EPA

Presented by the American Chemical Society and the EPA as part of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, the Small Business Award  for 2013 went to Faraday Technology.   Two former members of the Center of Electrochemical Science and Engineering are due congratulations for their contributions toward the EPA award.

img: Faraday Technology

The research leadership at Faraday includes Jennings Taylor who graduated in 1981 and was advised by Glenn Stoner as well as Maria Inman who was a post-doctoral researcher with Rob Kelly's group.   Taylor serves as the Chief Technical Officer for  Faraday Technology while Inman is the Research Director at Faraday and leads Faraday’s research and development function.  Faraday Technology's innovations remain focused on the development and commercialization of novel electrochemical technology and processes.

The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award recognizes the advances yielded by FARADAYIC® TriChrome Plating process; the process eliminates the need to use  hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) by replacing it the far less toxic trivalent chromium Cr(III).  While Trivalent chromium is  currently used to create light chrome coating processes, it hasn't been suitable for the creation of heavier coatings needed for more demanding industrial uses.  Via the novel electrodeposition process developed at Faraday Technology,  trivalent chromium is now yielding greatly improved coating results that are suitable for industrial processes that were only previously realized when Cr(VI) was used. 


Via Faraday Technology:

    The conventional Cr(VI) electrodeposition process uses a constant direct current during the entire process. Faraday designed a new electrodeposition process that alternates between a forward (cathodic) pulse followed by a reverse (anodic) pulse and an off period (relaxation). Not only does this process allow for thicker coatings from Cr(III), but it can also be adjusted to affect the structure and properties of the coating. This new process results in a product that exhibits equivalent or improved wear and fatigue performance compared to chrome coatings plated from a Cr(VI) bath. In addition, this new Cr(III) plating process is more efficient that the Cr(VI) plating process and does not produce any Cr(VI) as a byproduct. Yet another advantage to this technology over non-chrome alternatives is that it is a true drop-in replacement technology for Cr(VI) coatings. Only new plating bath electrodes are required. Unlike many non-chrome technologies, Faraday’s process can plate both the inner and outer surfaces of a tube.