Creative Nano recently participated in the 2nd Review Meeting of the FreeMe Project, a key milestone in this ambitious initiative aimed at revolutionising the Plating on Plastics (PoP) process. The meeting was held virtually, bringing together all project partners as well as external reviewers to assess the progress and outcomes achieved over the project's 37-month journey.
The FreeMe project focuses on developing an innovative, sustainable alternative to traditional PoP processes by eliminating the use of hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) and palladium (Pd)—two substances known for their environmental and health risks. As a core technical partner, Creative Nano (Cnano) was proud to present the latest experimental results, which demonstrated significant improvements in the performance of the Cr⁶⁺- and Pd-free formulations compared to earlier phases of testing.
These promising findings are the result of intensive research, formulation refinement, and close collaboration across the consortium. The new developments not only meet performance and adhesion standards for metallised plastic components but also bring the project significantly closer to achieving a fully sustainable and safe PoP solution, aligned with EU environmental regulations and industrial needs.
The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to review technical progress, address challenges, and define next steps as the project enters its final phase. Feedback from external reviewers was positive, underscoring the project’s strong potential to deliver real-world impact and industrial scalability.
Creative Nano remains fully committed to supporting the project’s vision and contributing to a future where high-performance metallisation processes can be achieved without compromising safety or sustainability.
