- Research and Development
- 2020.10.25
Cleaning and rust preventive treatment for aluminum beverage cans
We offer degreasing agents free from fluorine and heavy metals for aluminum beverage cans and chemical conversion treatment agents free from hazardous hexavalent chromium. These agents contribute significantly to reducing river pollution and the environmental impact of wastewater treatment.
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What is the cleaning and rust preventive treatment for aluminum beverage cans?
Treatment of aluminum beverage cans consists of degreasing to clean the cans to remove oils, such as lubricants used for forming, and chemical conversion treatment to enable long-term storage. Our advanced engineering capabilities have a good track record and have gained the trust of many customers over the long term. In the 1980s, we became the first company in the world to commercialize an environmentally friendly fluorine-free degreasing agent. We also offer environmentally friendly chromium-free chemical conversion treatment agents characterized by superb workability with special additives added.
What are the key features of this technology?
Fluorine has the property of being able to dissolve and remove oxides on aluminum surfaces. The fluorine-free degreasing agent that we have developed emulsifies and removes oils that adhere to the surface in the forming process using a surfactant. Metal ions, which are added instead of fluorine, remove oxides on the aluminum surface through an oxidation-reduction reaction (etching).
In the chemical conversion treatment, an amorphous hydrous inorganic film is formed by a chemical reaction that occurs on the metal interface of aluminum. The film thickness is on a nanoscale level, but the film protects aluminum cans from corrosion.
Contribution to the solution of social issues
The surface treatment of aluminum beverage cans requires a large amount of water. The use of fluorine compounds and heavy metals, such as chromium, is not preferable from the viewpoint of ESGs because these substances pollute rivers and have a significant impact in terms of wastewater treatment. The establishment of our technology to deliver a fluorine-free degreasing agent and chromium-free chemical conversion treatment agent meets the recent trend of tighter environmental regulations. In foreign countries, degreasing agents containing fluorine are still widely used. Demand for aluminum beverage cans has also been growing overseas, including developing countries. Our environmentally friendly technology is expected to play a key role.
