“…However, hexavalent chromium is an environmentally harmful compound and its use is currently highly restricted, and it is likely to be completely banned in the future [ 15 ]. In recent years, research efforts have been aimed at replacing the chromium-based technologies with other, more benign processes, particularly in the processing of Al and its alloys [ 16 ]. However, the issue remains unresolved, and the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly methods for pretreating aluminium surfaces is an urgent scientific and technical task.…”