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

I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发一种保护涂层，以节约能源和减少排放。多功能防护涂层材料和工艺是解决涂层技术失效问题的迫切需要。例如，供暖、通风和空调（HVAC）系统的成本可能占建筑物能耗的50%以上，但商用HVAC设备的高维护成本和腐蚀往往被忽视。湿度和暴露于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热交换器盘管上观察到。当腐蚀开始时，作业效率很快就会降低50-70%，机组寿命减半。这将逐步增加能源账单、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，通常用作绝缘层，不可避免地降低了热交换效率，最高可达15%。此外，环氧涂料既不灵活也不耐紫外线。最终，它们往往会脱落或解体，这使得线圈不受腐蚀损害。提出的六方氮化硼（hBN）保护涂层可以增加70%的热交换，并提高HVAC系统的抗腐蚀、抗磨损性能，以适应恶劣的工作环境，降低能源成本和排放。I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种可扩展的化学辅助球磨机工艺，用于大规模生产超细六方氮化硼（hBN）纳米片。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，使其成为一种很有前途的抗腐蚀、抗氧化、抗磨损和抗侵蚀涂层添加剂。制造过程从HBN粉末开始，聚合物的变形和碰撞产生的绝对力有利于商用块体HBN的剥离。该工艺的另一个优点是能够在球磨过程中整合可选的化学品，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，如气相沉积和喷涂，薄的hBN薄片可以进一步集成成各种工业基材上的连续薄膜。所提议的技术的成功开发可以显着改善涂层性能并提供用于将材料集成到不同工业基材上的保护涂层中的工艺。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.