Nucor invests in environmentally friendly chrome-plating technology

Steel products manufacturer Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., has purchased a minority equity position in the parent of Trion Coatings LLC, which is developing an environmentally friendly chrome-plating technology.

As part of its investment, Nucor is working with Trion Coatings to commercialize the technology and will construct a pilot facility at Nucor Fastener in St. Joe, Ind. Nucor also holds an exclusive, worldwide license agreement for the technology as applied to long steel products.

Trion Coatings, which incubated at Notre Dame's IDEA Center, was formed to develop an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional chrome-plating process. The company uses a patent-pending process using Cr(III) salts and a proprietary ionic liquid solution. This process allows for faster electroplating speeds, improved wear resistance, and overall higher performance than the traditional chrome-plating process, according to the company.