Schlötter is granted patent
for SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology

“Method for the galvanic deposition of zinf and zinc alloy layers from an alkaline coating bath with reduced degradation of organic bath additives” – this is the title of European patent EP 3481976, which was granted to Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG on 15 April 2020.This somewhat lengthy title refers to Schlötter’s SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology, which was awarded the Innovation Prize of the state of Baden-Württemberg in 2018. The SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology is the basis for two zinc-nickel alloy baths SLOTOLOY ZN 80 VX (for rack applications) and SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX (for barrel applications). Both electrolytes feature a significantly reduced formation of cyanides and a lower consumption of organic additives compared to conventional alkaline zinc-nickel electrolytes. At the same time, the bath voltage is significantly reduced and energy efficiency is significantly increased.

The VX systems offer  following advantages:

• Efficient use of resources: The overall consumption of chemicals is lower, since significantly less organics are degraded. Due to the lower cyanide content of the electrolyte, a lower nickel concentraction is required. Less raw materials are required to operate the electrolyte, which has a positive effect on consumption costs. Due to the lower bath voltage and less needs forcooling, the overall power consumption is reduced by up to 30%.
• Higher productivity: The current efficiency increases by 5-10% for barrel applications and by approx. 5-7% fro rack applications. Due to the higher current yield, the deposition rate is simultaneously increased by approx. 5-20%, thus the output of electroplating plants can be increased by up to 30% (for barrel applications).
• Strengthening of environmental and climate protection: The significant energy savings in plating, the faster deposition rate and the savings in organic additives not only lead to an increase in productivity, but also to a significant reduction in cyanide and wastewater volume per plated parts and a reduction in energy and chemical consumption in wastewater treatment. The new process thus represents an active contribution to environmental and climate protection.

Meanwhile, both SLOTOLOY ZN VX 80 and SLOTOLOY ZN VX 210 have performed tremendously well in practice for about three years and are in use worldwide.

Interested in our webinar?

If you want to learn more about Schlötter’s SLOTOLOY ZN VX technology, you can register for our webinar “„Wirtschaftlichkeit und CO2-Einsparung im Fokus. Hochleistungsabscheidung von Zink-Nickel im alkalischen Trommelsystem SLOTOLOY ZN 210 VX“.  We are happy to schedule an individual webinar for you. Please contact us at messe@schloetter.de