Plating of plastic materials has evolved into a big business, covering huge amount of commercial applications. SAMDOKAN project is focused on the study of the industrialization process of a new environmentally-friendly process of metallization of plastic parts, applied to different sectors: automotive, electrical appliances and sanitary plastic parts.

For activating the surface of the plastic and successfully plating is necessary to employ etching solutions based on carcinogenic chromic acid and toxic Pd/Sn colloids; however these methodologies are subjected to restrictions and disadvantages due to environmental contamination and health and safety related issues.

In an attempt to avoid the use of carcinogenic hexavalent chromic acid in pre-treatments for metalizing plastic surfaces, which will be forbidden in 2017 by REACH regulations, the plastic plating industry is thoroughly investigating new technologies to find alternatives to the use of traditional plating practices.