Steel Mills
Nucor Invests in Environmental Chrome Plating Technology
Written by Sandy Williams
July 29, 2018
Nucor has purchased a minority position in the parent of Trion Coatings LLC. The company will work with Trion to commercialize an environmentally friendly chrome plating technology.
Trion Coatings utilizes a patent pending process using CR(III) salts and a proprietary ionic liquid solution. The process allows for greater electroplating speeds, improved wear resistance and overall higher performance than the traditional chrome plating process, while offering an excellent health and safety profile, the company claims.
Nucor plans to construct a pilot facility at Nucor Fastener in St. Joe, Ind., to commercialize the process. Nucor also holds an exclusive worldwide license agreement for the technology as applied to long steel products.
“We are very excited to invest in this cutting-edge technology, working together with Trion Coatings and the University of Notre Dame to create a much safer work environment, and advancing this technology to the commercial level,” said John Ferriola, Chairman, CEO and President of Nucor Corp. “As the nation’s largest recycler, we are constantly looking for ways to increase the sustainability of our business and reduce the impact on our environment.”
Trion Coatings was formed under the umbrella of the Notre Dame IDEA Center with Middleburg Capital Development as major equity holder and Notre Dame as a minor holder.
Tim Sutherland, Chairman of Middleburg Capital Development, stated, “Trion is a prime example of how research at the University of Notre Dame and the IDEA Center’s commercializing process work in harmony to foster new frontier research and commercialize it to do bold things for the human community. Our success is a credit to the Trion Coatings founders and scientists who worked diligently and with unwavering commitment to create a chrome coating that will change steel finishing forever, while benefiting human health and safety in immeasurable ways.”
Sandy Williams
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