SBIR Phase I: Dual-Capsule Epoxy Self-Healing Additives for Corrosion Protection

由于所提出的技术可以解决防护材料设计中的许多关键挑战，因此该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力是巨大的。拟议的研发活动将促进用于环氧保护涂层的双胶囊环氧自愈系统的开发。将这种系统整合到防护和船用环氧涂料的设计中，将提高这些涂料的耐腐蚀性，从而延长这些资产的维护周期，同时减少与维护、维修和大修活动相关的生产力损失、能源消耗和挥发性有机化合物。该产品还将作为粘合剂和密封剂的特种添加剂，用于多种消费和工业应用。最后，该技术的成功开发将促进新型单包环氧涂料和可在环境条件下固化的粘合剂、粉末涂料固化剂和新型防腐配方的开发。这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一种用于环氧树脂胺固化剂微胶囊化的方法，从而开发一种基于环氧树脂的双胶囊自修复系统。由于它们的两亲性，环氧树脂固化剂（通常是胺和酰胺）很难被封装，因为它们倾向于驻留在水包油乳液中油相和水相之间的界面上，这是大多数封装过程的先决条件。因此，即使在学术水平上，自我修复系统也以其他化学物质为基础，即使在基质为环氧树脂的情况下。我们将从两个方面着手解决这个问题。首先将是系统评价和选择胺固化剂的疏水性程度，将允许其封装。在胺的成功封装后，第二前线将确定一个适当的过程，以加强壳壁的性质，以提高其稳健性。在获得足够稳定的胺微胶囊之后，将这些胶囊与含有环氧树脂的互补微胶囊结合在一起的双胶囊自愈系统的功效将在原型涂层和粘合剂配方中进行评估。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is significant due to the number of critical challenges in the design of protective materials the proposed technology could address. The proposed R&D activity will facilitate the development of a dual-capsule epoxy self-healing system for epoxy protective coatings. The incorporation of such a system into the design of protective and marine epoxy coatings will improve the corrosion resistance of these coatings leading to longer maintenance cycles for these assets along with a decrease in the loss of productivity, energy consumed and volatile organic compounds associated with maintenance, repair and overhaul activities. The product developed will also find utility as a specialty additive for adhesives and sealants spanning multiple consumer and industrial applications. Finally, successful development of this technology will enable the development of novel one-pack epoxy coating and adhesives curable at ambient conditions, curing agents for powder coatings and novel corrosion inhibiting formulations.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result in the development of an approach for the microencapsulation of amine curing agents for epoxy resins en route to the development of a dual capsule epoxy-based self-healing system. Due to their amphiphilic properties, curing agents for epoxies, (typically amines and amides) are difficult to encapsulate since they tend to reside at the interface between the oil and the water phases in oil-in-water emulsions that are a prerequisite for most encapsulation procedures. As such, self-healing systems demonstrated even at an academic level have been based other chemistries even in cases in which the matrix is an epoxy. We will approach this problem on two fronts. The first will be the systematic evaluation and selection of an amine curing agent with a degree of hydrophobicity that will permit its encapsulation. Upon successful encapsulation of the amine, the second front will identify an appropriate process for reinforcing the properties of the shell wall to improve its robustness. Following the achievement of adequately stable amine microcapsules, the efficacy of the dual capsule self-healing system combining these capsules with complementary microcapsules containing an epoxy resin, will be assessed in prototype coating and adhesive formulations.