THE ORIGIN OF THE PROJECT
Mohamed Amazian El Moussaoui is the industrial doctoral student in the collaborative research project between the company Plating Decor SL and the Sustainable Electrochemical Processes group of the University of Barcelona (UB). He was also the UB representative in the " Thesis in 4 minutes " competition organized by the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRi).
Inspired by the challenge of climate change, Mohamed Amazian has dedicated himself to the search for innovative materials with the potential to mitigate its effects. This concern led him to obtain a degree in Chemistry and a Master's in Applied Materials Chemistry before becoming an industrial doctoral student at Plating Decor SL, a company in Sant Feliu de Llobregat specializing in the treatment of surfaces by the deposition of precious metals for sectors as varied as jewelry, electronics, automotive, aeronautics, medicine, etc. In the case at hand, the company also specializes in 18-carat gold coatings for decorative pieces.
The truth is that these electrochemical processes present challenges in terms of environmental sustainability and dependence on external supplies . We must first understand what we are talking about when we refer to the electrodeposition technique: it is a technique that allows an object to be coated with a thin layer of metal by passing an electric current ; in the case of Mohamed Amazian's research, it is an 18-carat gold coating. The procedure consists of immersing the object in a bath with different components and applying an electric current to it. This current causes the metals in the bath to be deposited on the surface of the object, thus creating a uniform coating. One of the main applications of electrodeposition is in the jewelry industry, where it is used to coat pieces with precious metals such as gold or silver. It is also used in the automotive industry for protection against corrosion, as well as in other sectors related to electronics and materials engineering.
The challenge of reducing the environmental impact of an industrial process
The company has identified a challenge in its industrial process that it wants to overcome with this industrial doctoral project. Essentially, the problem is that these baths contain environmentally harmful components, such as cyanides . That is why this industrial doctoral project seeks more sustainable alternatives that minimize the use of these harmful components.
But there is more, the most remarkable fact is that the metals used in these coatings can also be used in other electrochemical processes that would allow us a more sustainable future, such as the transformation of atmospheric CO₂, one of the gases that contributes to climate change, or the revaluation of secondary industrial products . That is why this project has a double objective, improving the deposition process used in jewelry and opening up the possibility for the company to produce materials for environmental purposes. According to Amazian, the potential impact of his research focuses on “reducing the toxic components of the electrolytic bath, finding a more robust manufacturing process than the current one, and above all finding alternative applications”.
As is usual in any research process, Mohamed Amazian's work involves significant challenges. Before starting the project, Mohamed did an internship that was fundamental to understanding the company's problems; especially since he came from a very different field of work, although it was also related to the fight against climate change. When studying the bath formula that Plating Decor uses for its coatings, Mohamed recognizes that " the almost total lack of knowledge of the composition was a barrier to understanding the process that had to be overcome ", which made it difficult to understand the entire process. The process of overcoming these obstacles has been a shared effort by everyone, which includes the experience of the company's technicians, the expertise of the faculty's electrochemical researchers and even the use of calculation and simulation tools provided by theoretical research groups.
Regarding the impact of his research on society and the industrial fabric , Amazian identifies three areas of potential impact: the reduction of toxic components, the establishment of a more robust and reliable manufacturing process, and the search for alternative applications . These advances could have repercussions beyond the specific decorative coatings industry, serving as a model for other industrial sectors that can transform traditionally polluting industrial processes into much more ecological versions: “ I am particularly interested in combining the decorative purpose with the environmental purpose. It would be great if we could obtain the same coating that has so far been known for being attractive under different conditions and use it to reduce carbon dioxide, ” says Amazian.
Although the industrial doctoral project has not yet been completed, Mohamed Amazian's personal and professional balance is positive. Participating in an industrial doctoral project has provided the interviewee with an enriching dual experience, with a view of both the academic and business worlds: " it is very enriching to see how the same problem is approached from these two worlds, as well as the work rhythms and the organization ."
With initiatives like this, Plating Decor SL and the University of Barcelona collaborate to establish a new standard at the intersection of science and industry , which can not only have a significant impact on the way metallurgy is understood in the materials science sector, but also in our global fight against climate change.
