OSMOSIS · Project

Toxic-Free Metal Bonding Primer for Satellites, Aerospace, and Automotive

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

When you glue metal parts together on a satellite, you first need to prime the surface — like sanding wood before painting. The problem is, the primers the space industry uses are seriously toxic chemicals that are being banned across Europe. ENBIO developed a dry, chemical-free process called CoBlast that blasts a primer layer onto metal surfaces without any hazardous liquids. Think of it like pressure-washing a surface clean and coating it in one step — no toxic waste, no health risk, and it actually performs as well or better than the old method.

By the numbers

EUR 1,519,630

EU investment in commercialization

TRL 6

Technology readiness at project start (automotive sector)

2017 and 2019

REACH sunset dates for chromate coatings

2 years

Accelerated route to market (vs 5 years without funding)

Total project deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

European manufacturers who bond metal parts — in satellites, aircraft, or cars — depend on toxic chromate primers that are now banned or restricted under REACH regulation. The alternatives still use aggressive chemicals flagged as substances of very high concern, meaning they face the same regulatory risk within years. Companies need a clean, chemical-free surface preparation method that performs at least as well as chromate conversion without the compliance burden.

The solution

What was built

ENBIO built a demonstration unit for their patented CoBlast adhesive priming process, integrated production equipment at their facility, and manufactured honeycomb panels in-house to prove the process works for space-sector components. The project delivered 12 total deliverables covering the path from TRL 6 to commercial readiness.

Audience

Who needs this

Satellite integrators replacing chromate primers before REACH deadlinesAerospace structural bonding manufacturers under chemical regulation pressureAutomotive body-in-white suppliers seeking REACH-compliant adhesive primersSurface treatment and coating subcontractors serving regulated industriesMRO providers for spacecraft and aircraft needing compliant repair processes

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Satellite Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Satellite integrators and spacecraft component manufacturers

If you are a satellite manufacturer dealing with the REACH ban on chromate conversion coatings — this project developed the CoBlast adhesive priming process that replaces toxic wet-chemistry primers with a dry, chemical-free alternative. The process is already qualified by ESA for thermal control coatings on spacecraft. It meets or exceeds existing industry standard performance while eliminating hazardous chemical waste and REACH compliance risk.

Aerospace

enterprise

Target: Aircraft structural component manufacturers and MRO providers

If you are an aerospace manufacturer struggling with REACH restrictions on chromate-based primers for metal bonding — this project proved a dry surface treatment that eliminates hazardous chemicals from adhesive bonding preparation. The CoBlast process was designed for scaling from space-sector throughput to faster aerospace production rates. With chromate sunset dates already passed, this offers a drop-in replacement that avoids substances of very high concern entirely.

Automotive

mid-size

Target: Automotive body and structural component suppliers

If you are an automotive supplier facing tightening chemical regulations on metal surface treatments — this project's CoBlast process already passed testing in the automotive sector at TRL 6 before the project began. The technology handles the identical adhesive bonding primer problem found in automotive manufacturing but at faster processing times. It eliminates wet-chemistry approaches tied to aggressive chemicals listed as substances of very high concern.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this technology cost compared to traditional chromate conversion?

The project data does not disclose per-unit pricing. However, CoBlast eliminates wet-chemistry consumables, hazardous waste disposal, and REACH compliance overhead — all significant cost lines. The EU invested EUR 1,519,630 to bring this to market, signaling strong commercial viability.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

The project specifically built a demonstration unit for adhesion promotion at ENBIO's facility and integrated production equipment. Space sector applications have lower throughput requirements, but the project roadmap explicitly targets scaling to faster aerospace and automotive production rates as the next step.

What is the IP and licensing situation?

CoBlast is a patented process owned by ENBIO Limited. Any commercial use would require licensing from or direct contracting with ENBIO. The technology is already commercially deployed for ESA thermal control coatings, so licensing models are likely established.

How does this handle REACH compliance?

This is the core value proposition. Chromate conversion coatings hit REACH sunset dates in 2017 and 2019. CoBlast uses no hazardous chemicals and avoids substances of very high concern entirely, making it future-proof against further chemical regulation tightening.

How quickly could we integrate this into our production line?

ENBIO demonstrated equipment integration and process implementation as part of this project. The process is described as highly flexible and adaptable to defined part geometries. Based on available project data, the 2-year project timeline covered full scale-up from TRL 6 to commercialization readiness.

Has this been tested against industry standards?

Yes. The objective states CoBlast meets or exceeds existing industry standard performance for adhesive bonding primers. It is already qualified and used by the European Space Agency for spacecraft thermal control coatings, which is one of the most demanding quality environments in manufacturing.

What is the current development status?

The project entered at TRL 6 with automotive testing completed and aimed for full commercialization in the space sector within 2 years. Deliverables include a working demonstration unit and manufactured honeycomb panels, indicating the technology reached pilot production readiness.

Consortium

Who built it

OSMOSIS is a single-company project run entirely by ENBIO Limited, an Irish SME. With 100% industry participation and no university or research institute partners, this is a pure commercialization effort — not a research collaboration. The EUR 1,519,630 SME Instrument Phase 2 grant went directly to the technology owner, which means all development knowledge and IP sit in one place. For a potential buyer or licensee, this simplifies negotiations considerably: you deal with one company that owns the patent, built the demo unit, and already has an ESA supply relationship.

ENBIO LIMITEDCoordinator · IE

How to reach the team

ENBIO Limited is an Irish SME — SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to their business development team.

Order a report on this consortium See ENBIO LIMITED profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to evaluate CoBlast for your metal bonding process? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with ENBIO and help you assess fit for your production line.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0