Zero-waste Electroplating: Transforming the Chemistry of Silver Coating for a Sustainable Watch Industry
The process of electroplating, used to coat watch dials, is causing major environmental challenges. Together with a major swiss watchmaking company we're seeking sustainable, eco-friendly approaches for non-toxic, longer-lasting silver electroplating solutions. Let's collaborate to build a greener watchmaking industry.
#SustainableChemistry #GreenWatchIndustry #EcoFriendlyCoatings
✅ Completed 🏁 Winner Congratulations to Macias Sensors for winning the challenge!
🏆 Prize EUR 3,000 prize pool + joint pilot project + versatile collaboration models
🌎 Scope Open to students, researchers, industry experts as well as startups & companies
❓ Q&A Call 🌱 Innovate 2030 All SDGs This challenge is part of the INNOVATE2030 2030 program
In this tab, you can find all the relevant information for your submission.
How to submit
- Submission template (mandatory)
A standard template is available. The template will help you structure your solutions and approaches and provide answers to all relevant questions and frameworks. Please download the submission template here. - Optional content
You can try to stand out and also supplement your submission with prototypes, image and video materials, or other concepts or visual elements - simply submit these files additionally via our platform.
Mandatory Questions
These questions should definitely be addressed as part of your concept:
- What specific modifications to the current silver electroplating processes do you propose? Think about the entire life cycle of the process, including the extraction of silver from the old bath, the production of new electroplating baths, and the disposal of waste products. Please include a simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
- How can you ensure that the quality standards for the watch components are maintained? (Ductility, hardness and color, thickness 3microns)
- How can your proposed solution be implemented and scaled effectively in an industrial setting?
- If you choose the upcycling track: Which parameters need to be monitored to understand the aging of the bath and trigger its upcycling?
Criteria and guidelines
Silver electroplating: All approaches should be designed specifically for silver electroplating baths. This means that the process should be optimized for the extraction of silver and the removal of impurities that may affect the quality of the final product. The process should also consider the recovery of the other chemicals in the bath, such as potassium hydroxide, potassium cyanide, and potassium carbonate, for reuse or safe disposal.
Possible directions: Co-plating is allowed as well as new materials for deposition
Non-toxicity: Solutions must not contain toxic substances, to ensure the safety of the process and reduce environmental impact.
Durability: Solutions must prolong the service life of the bath without affecting the plating quality, to reduce the need for frequent replacements and minimize waste generation.
Recyclability: Solutions must be easily recyclable or preferably recycled with the addition of silver ions and reintroduced into the plating process after a cleaning/regeneration step, to improve resource efficiency and minimize waste generation.
Volumes: Volumes of baths around 100l must be taken to account.
Simple process: The upcycling process should be simple and local for upcycling and easy to implement in an industrial plant.
REACH compatible: The upcycling process should be compatible with the European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. This means that the process should not use or produce substances that are harmful to human health or the environment. The process should also comply with any other relevant regulations or standards.