Brazil – NIONE Ltda of Içara, Santa Catarina - a Randoncorp and Frasle Mobility company - specializing in the development of nanotechnology to improve the physical-chemical properties of materials for various industrial applications, has announced development of a new nanostructured additive coating for use in the automotive sector as an anti-corrosion treatment. The new solution has been applied to the Maxcoating line* of brake discs and drums by Fremax, one of the Frasle Mobility brands. The first units were recently sold to customers in North America, which is seen by NIONE as being one of the main potential markets for this innovative technology.

The NIONE additive contains nanoparticles of niobium pentoxide, which act to improve paint protection performance, increase corrosion resistance and protection against chemical attack as well as improving a paint's abrasion resistance. In the project with Fremax, the benefits provided by the additive enabled the company to use a water-based paint for this application. In Salt Spray tests, MIONE stated, the additive achieved approximately 1,000 hours of protection, which potentially can double component life.