Ferroprime is a new generation formulation based on silicon compounds that provides an environmentally friendly alternative to phosphating as a pre-treatment on ferrous substrates, prior to painting. This formulation is free from standard hazardous material and is RoHS compliant. Standard epoxy and epoxy-polyester based paints can be applied in the conventional manner on the Ferroprimed surface. In addition to this, zinc aluminium based coatings can also be applied on ferrous surfaces treated with Ferroprime. The novelty of this process is that unlike phosphating, no sludge is formed during the treatment. This not only results in zero solid waste management, but also less energy costs, lower processing time as well as less consumption of the powder.