Adam Robertson-Young owner of Aerocoat which has developed a new process for chrome plating which has been used by Lotus.

Bid to replace chrome with “mirror in a can”

By Elaine Maslin, Acting business editor
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
8:18 AM

A specialist powder coating firm has launched what it hopes is an alternative to chrome plating that can be used in a spray can.

Aeromax is a mirror finish paint created by Aerocoat, based in St Olaves between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Adam Robertson-Young, the firm’s founder, has spent eight years developing the product, including getting patents on the process and formulations in Europe and Hong Kong and soon also the US.

He wanted to be able to create a finish just like chrome – partially because the process of chrome  plating is under pressure from  environmental lobbiests to be phased out.

Projects which have used the paint include the wheels on one of Lotus’ vehicles at the Paris Motor Show.

Now, as well as creating a mirror like finish in his workshop, Mr Robertson-Young, has also  launched what he is calling Mirror in a Can.

“We are a small company specialising in powder coating,” he said. “But I don’t accept anything is  impossible, I just keep going at it. All of what we earn goes in to research and development. And we know this is ground-breaking.

“We have developed a mirror in a can, it creates a perfect glass mirror effect at a fraction of the cost.

“What is stopping us is having a big corporation behind us to help develop it.

“The whole idea is to make it really simple so that anyone could use it.”

He took on a chemist part-time to help develop the product. He also thinks it could have wider and more lucrative uses – particularly desert energy, use of large mirrors in the desert to harness solar power.

The firm specialises in powder coating on one-off projects, from custom motorbikes to mobile phones, with the majority of work industrial powder coating, from shop fittings. It has three staff.