Chrome Dur Industriel and TITANIA Ensayos y Proyectos Industriales presented the results of industrial Pilots 1 and 2 of the European RESINSURF project at SURFAIR 2026, held from 22 to 24 September. The presentation, entitled “Towards more resilient, sustainable, competitive and intelligent electrochemical surface treatments (Hard Chromium and Anaphoresis)”, took place on Wednesday 23 September within the session Sustainability & Circularity in Aerospace Surface Technologies.
The presentation was delivered by Pedro Astola González, R&D Manager at TITANIA, and Fabrice James, CEO of Chrome Dur Industriel. Both companies are responsible for validating the solutions developed by RESINSURF at industrial scale, reducing dependence on hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic substance for both people and the environment.
Safer alternatives for industry
Hexavalent chromium, or Cr(VI), has traditionally been used in surface treatments due to its excellent protection against corrosion and wear. However, its high toxicity and regulatory restrictions make it necessary to develop alternatives that maintain technical performance without compromising health or sustainability.
RESINSURF addresses this challenge through two complementary pilots. Pilot 1, led for validation by Chrome Dur Industriel, focuses on hard chrome plating without Cr(VI) on steel. The project is evaluating two different formulations to verify that they can deliver comparable performance in terms of hardness and corrosion resistance.
Pilot 2, validated by TITANIA, focuses on the protection of lightweight aluminium alloys using chromium-free processes. The strategy combines tartaric-sulphuric anodic layers, anaphoretic coatings and corrosion inhibitors, together with monitoring and quality-control systems for the process baths.
An international showcase for European innovation
SURFAIR is an international congress specialised in surface finishing for the aerospace and aeronautics sectors. It brings together manufacturers, airlines, suppliers, research centres and technical experts from around the world, making it an ideal setting to showcase technologies that respond to the sector’s new sustainability requirements.
RESINSURF’s participation made it possible to present the project’s progress to a specialised audience and to connect with companies and R&D centres working on the transition towards cleaner processes. The session in which the presentation took place was specifically dedicated to sustainability and circularity in aerospace surface technologies, a key area for the future of the European industry.
European collaboration for a more sustainable industry
RESINSURF is coordinated by CIDETEC Surface Engineering and funded by the Interreg SUDOE programme, with ERDF co-funding. The project brings together technology centres, universities, SMEs and sectoral associations from Spain, France and Portugal, with the aim of transferring innovative solutions to the industrial fabric of south-west Europe.
The participation of Chrome Dur Industriel and TITANIA at SURFAIR 2026 highlights the role of companies as drivers of industrial validation. Their pilots demonstrate that alternatives to Cr(VI) are not only viable in the laboratory, but can also be integrated into real production processes with appropriate quality control and monitoring.
With these advances, RESINSURF is moving closer to its final goal: providing industry with more resilient, sustainable, competitive and intelligent electrochemical surface treatments, protecting workers’ health and reducing environmental impact without compromising the performance required by sectors such as aerospace.