Advanced Surface Engineering Technologies for a Sustainable Defense – ASETSDefense – is a Department of Defense initiative sponsored by SERDP and ESTCP. Its objective is to facilitate the implementation of new, environmentally friendly technologies for surface engineering (coatings and surface treatments) by providing ready access to background information and technical data from research, development, test, and evaluation efforts as well as the status of approvals and implementations.

ASETSDefense provides defense organizations with information and assistance to improve weapons system performance and life-cycle cost while reducing or eliminating environmental safety and occupational health (ESOH) impacts from coatings and treatment processes that utilize hexavalent chromium (hex chrome, Cr6+, Cr(VI), chromate, chromic acid); coatings that contain cadmium; and coatings that contain volatile organic compounds (VOC).

Through ASETSDefense, SERDP and ESTCP have made available a relational database designed with a search capability to provide access to the available information needed to make informed decisions on the use of alternatives to materials and technologies for surface engineering that pose environmental or health hazards. This information includes detailed engineering data, background documents, and information on processes and products that have been validated, authorized, or implemented.

The ASETSDefense website is currently undergoing maintenance. Access to its resources, including information on clean alternatives, the surface engineering database, and briefings/reports from past ASETSDefense workshops, will be available soon. The latest briefings from the 2020 ASETSDefense workshop are available here.