I-Corps: Omniphobic Anodic Coatings

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是彻底改变金属制造和表面处理的阳极氧化工艺。由于各个行业对轻质耐用材料的需求不断增加，阳极氧化市场不断增长。到2020年，全球阳极氧化行业预计将超过15亿美元，预计将以5%的复合年增长率增长，到2030年将达到约30亿美元。采用阳极氧化工艺的全疏性阳极涂层不仅可以使金属表面光滑无摩擦，而且可以使金属表面不粘、耐腐蚀、抗生物污染、防结冰/结霜。该技术可应用于各种金属，包括铝、钢、钛、铜和镁合金，从而广泛影响各种应用，包括船舶、航空航天、汽车、能源生产、建筑和医疗。其他潜在的应用包括食品加工设备、家用电器和体育用品等需要不粘和耐腐蚀的地方。该技术简单、经济、可扩展、环保，因此可以很容易地应用于当前的工业制造过程，在实践中几乎没有变化和风险，对广泛的金属材料和应用具有巨大的商业化潜力。这个I-Corps项目是基于新型阳极涂层的开发，这种涂层可以使金属表面在固体和流体状态下排斥各种类型的污垢和腐蚀剂。阳极氧化已广泛应用于制造业，以改善表面性能和钝化金属表面免受腐蚀。然而，由阳极氧化过程产生的多孔层仍然容易被腐蚀，因此孔隙通常被固相的防腐密封剂填充。然而，它们既不耐用，也不能自我修复。全疏性阳极涂层是用空气或油等与水不混溶且无腐蚀性的润滑流体填充孔隙。全疏性阳极涂层使润滑液稳定地保留在纳米孔内，并具有自修复能力，以恢复润滑液免受损害。除了耐久性之外，健康/环境危害和维护成本也是商业化和广泛应用的关键因素。全疏性阳极涂层不需要厚厚的涂层或添加剂，因为它是基于对原始金属表面的氧化，使表面很容易恢复或修复。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 to revolutionize the anodizing process in manufacturing and surface finishing for metals. The anodizing market continuously grows due to the increasing demand for lightweight and durable materials in various industries. The global anodizing industry sector was estimated more than USD 1.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5%, reaching about USD 3 billion by 2030. Adapting the anodizing process, omniphobic anodic coatings can make the metallic surface not only slippery and frictionless but also non-sticky, anti-corrosive, anti-biofouling, and anti-icing/frosting. The technology can be applied to diverse metals including aluminum, steel, titanium, copper, and magnesium alloys, thus broadly impacting various applications including marine, aerospace, automotive, energy production, construction, and medical. Other potential applications include food processing equipment, home appliances, and sporting goods where non-stickiness and corrosion resistance are required. The technology is facile, economical, scalable, and eco-friendly so that it can readily be applied to current industrial manufacturing processes with little change and risk in their practices, having great commercialization potential for the broad range of metallic materials and applications.This I-Corps project is based on the development of novel anodic coatings that can make metallic surfaces omniphobic to repel various types of fouling and corrosive agents in both solid and fluid states. Anodizing has extensively been employed in manufacturing industry to improve surface properties and passivate the metallic surface from corrosion. However, the porous layer resulting from the anodizing process is still prone to corrosion so that the pores are typically filled with anti-corrosion sealants in a solid phase. However, they are neither durable nor self-repairable. The omniphobic anodic coating is to fill the pores with water-immiscible and non-corrosive lubricating fluid such as air or oil. The omniphobic anodic coating enables the stable retention of the lubricating fluid within the nanopores and the self-healing capability to restore the lubricating fluid against damages. In addition to the durability, health/environment hazards and maintenance cost are critical factors for commercialization and broad applications. The omniphobic anodic coating does not require thick coatings or additives, because it is based on the oxidation of the original metal surface, so that the surface can easily be restored or repaired.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.