- Physical Sciences
1. Chemical and Electrochemical Surface Finishing
The facility includes a fully equipped laboratory for chemical and electrochemical processes, featuring electrochemical cells of various volumes (up to 10 L), potentiostats/galvanostats, dip-coating equipment, a spray chamber, a glovebox, thermostatic baths, controlled-atmosphere sintering furnaces, ultrasonic probes, and analytical instruments such as ICP, IC, zeta potential, and TOC analyzers, among other equipment.
The semi-industrial pilot plant comprises:
- Processing tanks with capacities of up to 250 L, equipped with multiple heaters, a cooling coil, mechanical stirring, air agitation, provision for positioning counter-electrodes at different locations, a level sensor, a lid, and an extraction hood.
- Electrochemical simulation and modeling software (COMSOL Multiphysics) to support the understanding, optimization, and control of electrodeposition processes.
- Planned acquisition of monitoring and control software for the electrochemical pilot plant, enabling connectivity with a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that will manage the entire component manufacturing plant.
2. Protective Ceramic Coatings
This advanced technology protects metal components made from carbon steel, stainless steel, and highly alloyed steels using innovative ceramic coatings designed to withstand extreme industrial conditions involving chemicals, temperature, and pressure.
This approach provides an efficient and environmentally friendly solution that protects components against critical degradation while maintaining energy efficiency and preventing contamination and corrosion.
The protective ceramic coating has a thickness of approximately 150 µm and forms a chemical bond with the metal substrate, preventing corrosion and the accumulation of ash, by-products, and liquids.
Key properties include:
- Easy-cleaning performance.
- High emissivity.
- Chemical resistance to common industrial acids and salt-based products, under both hot and cold conditions.
- Thermal resistance up to 800°C, measured at the metal substrate.
- High abrasion resistance and hardness (64 HRC / 840 HV).
These properties are key to the effectiveness of ceramic protection technology.
3. Printing Technology
CIDETEC's printing technology is based on a semi-automatic screen-printing machine equipped with a movable printing table for printing on rigid and flexible materials, as required for electronic applications.
Key features include:
- Printing area: 550 × 750 mm.
- Maximum substrate thickness: 20 mm.
- High-precision screen printing with straightforward operation and advanced technological capabilities, allowing close adaptation to printing requirements.
- Short setup times and cost-effective operation.
- An anti-drip function that ensures excellent print quality, including reliable performance with translucent inks.
4. Sol-Gel Coatings
CIDETEC's facilities for applying sol-gel and functional coatings include dip-coating equipment and several spray guns capable of treating samples up to 30 × 40 cm.
Thermal, infrared (IR), and ultraviolet (UV) curing can be performed according to the formulation and process requirements.
A dedicated laboratory area houses specialized scientific equipment for sol-gel coating development, together with characterization techniques such as:
- Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
- Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).
- Viscosity measurement.
- Interferometric coating thickness measurement.
These techniques support the characterization of formulations and the evaluation of coating properties.
5. Surface Characterization Laboratory
The surface characterization laboratory enables the analysis of the physical, mechanical, and chemical properties of coatings, including roughness, morphology, microstructure, thermography, corrosion, wear, tribocorrosion, hardness, wettability, gloss, and color.
Available equipment includes a heating microscope, high-temperature testing equipment, microscopes, and microhardness testers, among other instruments.
Equipment
- Electrolytic tanks
- Screen-printing equipment (Thieme 1010E)
- Micronization and mixing mills, a wet spray booth, and heat-treatment furnaces
- Spray guns, including a low-pressure device, a robotic paint booth, temperature-controlled dip-coating equipment, and a rotary disk
- Electrochemical simulation and modeling software (COMSOL Multiphysics)
- Deposition of functional coatings, including corrosion protection and easy-clean coatings using antistatic and/or omniphobic properties.
- Laboratory- and pilot-scale deposition of metallic, ceramic, composite, and organic-inorganic coatings.
- Surface preparation, polishing, and chemical cleaning.
- Application of coatings resistant to chemically aggressive environments at high temperatures.
- Screen printing.
- Application of conventional and/or functionalized ink coatings.
CIDETEC
Eskuzaitzeta Industrialdea, Oianguren, 5, 20160 Zubieta - Donostia / San Sebastián, SPAIN
Surfaces and Coatings:
- Functional Materials and Surfaces
- Advanced Materials
Application sectors
- Biorefineries
- Petrochemicals
Industrial plan
- HAZI · Renewable Fuels
