SBIR Phase I: Transparent Flexible Quasi-Ceramic Intelligent Multifunctional Coatings for Corrosion and Biofouling Protection

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目采用智能和可持续涂层技术的开发，为防腐涂层行业提供了一个改变游戏规则的选择。全球每年的腐蚀成本估计为2.5万亿美元，而仅美国就损失超过1万亿美元。2015年全球防腐涂料市场价值超过140亿美元，预计2022年将超过260亿美元。除了性能较差之外，目前可用的防腐蚀涂层对环境和人类健康构成重大威胁。穷国和发展中国家很难承担相关费用。这种多功能涂料的开发将为他们提供一个更安全的替代方案来保护他们的资产。在初步实验中，这种涂层创新在防止经处理的表面上的腐蚀和生物污垢活性方面显示出显著的潜力。热分析和纳米力学分析表明，这些涂层具有非常高的热稳定性和机械稳定性，接近陶瓷材料。根据初步数据，可以肯定地说，这些涂层在通过阻隔涂层进行表面保护方面取得了突破。该项目的智力价值包括为各种基材开发用户友好的多功能涂料。历史上，铬酸盐转化涂层（CCC）已广泛用于防止金属腐蚀。然而，人们对使用CCC表示严重关切，因为它对人类健康构成威胁。用于金属防腐蚀涂层技术的致癌六价铬离子正在被美国环境保护署和欧洲化学品注册评估授权和限制法规逐步淘汰。该项目的关键创新是开发透明坚固的类陶瓷涂层的液体前体，可以保护基底免受恶劣环境条件的影响。这种即用型薄涂层适用于汽车和航空航天工业，可牢固地附着在大多数基材上，增加的重量最小，并且可以是透明或着色的。除了防腐蚀外，该涂层还可以为许多表面提供耐刮擦性、疏油性和可能的抗微生物特性。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase-I project employs the development of intelligent and sustainable coating technology to present a game changing option to the corrosion protection coating industry. The annual global cost of corrosion is estimated to be US$2.5 trillion while USA alone has to lose more than $1 trillion. The global anticorrosion coating market has been valued for more than US$14 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach beyond US$26 billion in 2022. Apart from inferior performance, currently available corrosion prevention coatings pose significant threat to the environment and human health. It is very hard for the poor and developing countries to bear the related costs. Development of this multifunctional coating will afford them a safer alternative for protecting their assets. In preliminary experiments, this coating innovation has shown significant potential in preventing corrosion and biofouling activity on the treated surface. The thermal analysis and nanomechanical analysis have indicated that these coatings have exceptionally high thermal and mechanical stability approaching that of ceramic materials. Based on the preliminary data, it is safe to state that these coatings present a breakthrough in the area of surface protection through barrier coatings. The intellectual merit of this project includes the development of user friendly multifunctional coating for wide variety of substrates. Historically, chromate conversion coatings (CCC) have been extensively used in preventing metals from corroding. However, there are serious concerns over the use of CCC as it poses human health risks. Carcinogenic hexavalent chromium ions used in coating technology for the corrosion protection of metals are being phased out by Environmental Protection Agency in USA and Registration Evaluation Authorization and Restrictions of Chemicals regulation in Europe. The key innovation of this project is the development of a liquid precursor to a transparent strong ceramic-like coating that can protect substrates from harsh environmental conditions. This ready to use thin coating, suitable for application in the automobile and aerospace industries, adheres strongly to most substrates, adds minimal weight and can be transparent or pigmented. Besides corrosion protection, the coating can also provide scratch resistance, oleophobicity, and possibly anti-microbial properties to numerous surfaces.