# Progress in Electrodeposition of Zinc and Zinc Nickel Alloys Using Ionic Liquids
## 7 Industrial Scope
Hence, corresponding measures should be taken to tackle the problems mentioned above and a key objective of future research should focus on not only reducing the cost of the ILs, but also minimizing the practical problems associated with the process. The scope of ionic liquids in the electroplating process of Zn/Zn-Ni alloys for aerospace applications depends on its impact on the environment. The fact that harsh, environmentally unfriendly chemicals in deposition baths may be replaced by recyclable ionic liquid electrolytes and contribute to the current efficiencies might be a selling point for ILs. While the ILs are expected to progressively become more inexpensive and available, significant research in the electroplating of Zn and Zn-Ni systems will help to explore the mechanism and rules underpinning the electrodeposition process. On one hand, ILs have been gaining popular attention in the field of electroplating and attracting industries majorly in the aerospace and automotive sectors. On the other hand, the stability of most ILs developed so far under practical plating conditions such as varying current densities and temperatures is still unknown. In addition, most deposition studies performed so far are carried out in laboratory conditions and data in practical plating systems are scarce. One of the main issues associated with large-scale electroplating using ILs is to achieve a reproducible surface finish with desired throwing power (ratio of deposit thickness at high current density to thickness at lower density \(\sim\)1.0). The life of the Zn and Zn-Ni alloy coatings deposited from ionic liquid based system is a key factor that needs significant consideration in the aerospace sector. Testing protocols may need further development to assess the coating quality and life in laboratory that mimic real service conditions. Understanding the factors related to the mass transportation of the species and complexation owing to the metal speciation are expected to help in the design of more efficient ionic liquid systems and development of methods for monitoring the properties of ionic liquid plating baths. Performing the evaluation, validation studies on the deposition of zinc and zinc alloys shall enable the IL-based system to match the most practical plating systems. Besides, developing halide-free ILs as electrolytes for the electrodeposition of zinc and zinc-based alloys on a larger scale will also address the environmental issues prevailing in the electroplating industry and favor the automotive sector, while deposition on lightweight metal alloy structures such as Al, Al-alloy, Mg, and Mg-alloy shall drive the aerospace industry towards a sustainable technology. Issues associated with the use of ILs include the REACH approval costs associated with the development of new compounds and their listing under the European rules: end-of-life vehicles (ELV), waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS), and finding technical solutions to lower the costs on one hand. On the other hand, transferring the technology from academia to the industry and translating it into products with commercial value will boost the possibility of ILs entering more markets in the near future. Figure 2: Plot showing the cost comparison of the ionic liquid based systems against the aqueous systems considering the initial make up of 100 L solution. HEAP: 2- hydroxyethyl ammonium propionate.