I-Corps: Scalable Development of Multifunctional Hexagonal Boron Nitride Protective Coatings

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种节能减排的保护涂料。为了缓解涂层技术效率低下的问题，迫切需要多功能防护涂层材料和工艺。例如，供暖、通风和空调(HVAC)系统的成本可能占建筑物能源消耗的50%以上，但商业暖通空调机组的高昂维护和腐蚀成本往往被忽视。湿度和接触碳氢化合物等污染物是腐蚀的主要原因，通常在暖通空调系统的换热器盘管上观察到。当发生腐蚀时，运行效率很快就会降低50%-70%，单位寿命减半。这将逐渐增加能源账单、二氧化碳排放和居住者的健康风险。目前的环氧基涂料是导热系数低的厚聚合物，通常作为保温层，不可避免地会降低热交换效率高达15%。此外，环氧涂层既不柔韧，也不耐紫外线。最终，它们往往会剥离或解体，从而使线圈不受腐蚀损害的保护。拟议的六角形氮化硼(HBN)保护涂层可以将热交换增加70%，并为暖通空调系统增加更高的防腐和耐磨性能，以在恶劣的工作环境中生存，降低能源成本和排放。这个i-Corps项目是基于大规模生产超细六方氮化硼(HBN)纳米薄片的可扩展化学辅助球磨机工艺的开发。HBN纳米片是一种电绝缘和导热的层状材料，具有优异的热稳定性和化学稳定性，是一种很有前途的防腐、抗氧化、耐磨和抗冲刷涂料添加剂。制造过程从HBN粉末开始，聚合物的变形和碰撞产生的剪切力促进了商业块状HBN的剥离。该方法的另一个优点是能够在球磨过程中集成可选的化学品，这可以为hBN提供指定的化学功能。此外，利用现有的涂层技术，如气相沉积和喷雾涂层，hBN薄片还可以进一步集成到各种工业衬底上的连续薄膜中。拟议技术的成功开发可能会显著提高涂层性能，并提供一种将材料集成到不同工业基材上的保护涂层的过程。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a protective coating for energy conservation and emission reduction. Multifunctional protective coating materials and processes are urgently needed to alleviate the problem of ineffective coating technologies. For example, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems costs can represent more than 50% percent of a building’s energy consumption, yet the high cost of maintenance and corrosion of commercial HVAC units are often overlooked. Humidity and exposure to pollutants like hydrocarbons are major causes of corrosion, commonly observed on the heat exchanger coils from HVAC systems. When corrosion sets in, the operating efficiency can soon be reduced by 50-70%, and unit life halved. This will progressively increase energy bills, discharge of CO2, and health risks for occupants. Current epoxy-based coatings are thick polymers with low thermal conductivity, which commonly act as an insulating layer and inevitably reduce the heat exchange efficiency by up to 15%. Moreover, epoxy coatings are neither flexible nor UV resistant. Eventually, they tend to peel off or disintegrate, which leaves the coils unprotected from corrosion damage. The proposed hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) protective coating may increase heat exchange by 70%, and add elevated anti-corrosion, anti-abrasion properties to HVAC systems to survive harsh working environments reducing energy costs and emissions. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a scalable chemical-assisted ball-mill process for large-scale production of ultra-fine hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanosheets. The hBN nanosheet is an electrically insulating and thermally conductive layered material with excellent thermal and chemical stabilities making it a promising anti-corrosion, anti-oxidation, anti-wear, as well as anti-erosion coating additive. The manufacturing process starts with HBN powder, the polymer deformation and sheer force resulting from collision facilitate the exfoliation of commercial bulk hBN. The process has the additional advantage of being able to integrate optional chemicals during ball-milling, which could provide hBN with designated chemical functionalities. In addition, thin hBN flakes may be further integrated into continuous film on various industrial substrates using existing coating techniques, such as vapor deposition and spray coating. Successful development of the proposed technology may significantly improve coating performance and provide a process for integrating materials into a protective coating on different industrial substrates.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.