Lignin-based coatings: A novel approach to turn challenges into opportunities for anti-corrosion and anti-wear applications

木质素涂料：一种将防腐和抗磨损应用挑战转化为机遇的新方法

• 批准号: EP/Y022009/1
• 负责人: Fan Zhang
• 金额: $ 55.18万
• 依托单位: University of Sussex
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FY022009%2F1
• 关键词: Lignin; based; coatings; novel; approach

Sustainable development is a crucial concept that recognizes our planet's limited resources, and humans' place in the ecological system. To achieve a viable and lasting environment, it is essential to produce materials with the least energy consumption and from renewable resources. The materials should also have good durability, where wear due to corrosion and abrasion is often the limiting factor. In this project, we aim to produce durable coatings from renewable materials that not only are sustainable themselves but also protect the underlying material from corrosion and wear.Corrosion is a major problem that leads to enormous economic costs and in the worst case, even to personal injury and fatalities when structures collapse. The traditional corrosion protection methods used globally are often effective, but they have disadvantages. Fossil-based coatings involve CO2 emissions, and the use of harmful corrosion protection chemicals causes serious damage to the environment and human health. Due to this, legislation has become stricter, and many of the most harmful and effective corrosion protection chemicals are now banned. Unfortunately, alternatives with comparable performance are still missing. The ban on using harmful chemicals is good, but the fact that materials wear out more quickly is detrimental to sustainable development. It is an urgent need to find renewable alternatives that work at least as well as the banned materials. This project will take us a few steps closer to that goal.In this project, we will utilise renewable biomass, and thereby also contribute to the effort to use biomass for value-added products, which in itself is a growing research area. Lignin, the key component in our coating, is one of the most abundant resources in plants that there is a surplus of from the forestry and agricultural industries. Today, lignin is mostly used as an energy supplement through burning. The reason for lignin not being widely utilised is due to its large and complex molecular structure that is highly resistant to depolymerisation. Depolymerisation is often a necessity to create valuable materials, but is not needed for the coatings we intend to produce, because the large and cross-linked molecular chains of lignin will be beneficial for barrier-type coatings. The development and production of corrosion-protective coatings are mainly about creating a surface barrier film. However, lignin is a typically poor film polymer, which is the challenge of this project.The PI has found a smart solution to the challenge inspired by the blue mussel. Mussels are capable of firmly attaching themselves to virtually every material such as wood, steel, wax, and even Teflon. The secret lies in the mussel's special protein-based adhesive. By mixing lignin and mussel protein, we can create protective coatings on metallic surfaces with excellent corrosion protection properties and abrasion protective properties. It has been found that mussel protein films also have a self-healing ability, which means that minor damage to the coating can heal on its own. There are other coatings on the market that are self-healing in the event of wear, but often lack the corrosion protection function. The available corrosion protective coatings, on the other hand, are usually not self-healing. The proposed coating combines self-healing, corrosion protection and abrasion protection properties.We will develop an environmentally friendly coating to reduce corrosion and wear, which would increase the underlying material's lifespan. The coating can also be used in combination with other coatings to achieve additional functions and even better durability. The project has the potential to create a paradigm shift in the coating industry with increased use of biomass to replace fossil-based, health-hazardous, and environmentally harmful products.

可持续发展是一个至关重要的概念，它承认我们地球的资源有限，以及人类在生态系统中的地位。为了实现可行和持久的环境，必须以最少的能源消耗和可再生资源生产材料。材料还应具有良好的耐久性，其中腐蚀和磨损引起的磨损通常是限制因素。在这个项目中，我们的目标是用可再生材料生产耐用的涂层，不仅本身是可持续的，而且还保护底层材料免受腐蚀和磨损。腐蚀是一个主要问题，它会导致巨大的经济成本，在最坏的情况下，当结构倒塌时，甚至会造成人身伤害和死亡。传统的防腐方法在全球范围内都是有效的，但它们也有缺点。化石基涂料涉及二氧化碳排放，有害防腐化学品的使用对环境和人类健康造成严重损害。因此，立法变得更加严格，许多最有害和最有效的防腐化学品现在被禁止。不幸的是，仍然缺少具有相当性能的替代品。禁止使用有害化学物质是好事，但材料损耗更快的事实不利于可持续发展。迫切需要找到至少与禁用材料一样有效的可再生替代品。这个项目将使我们离这个目标更近一步。在这个项目中，我们将利用可再生生物质，从而也有助于将生物质用于增值产品，这本身就是一个不断发展的研究领域。木质素是我们涂料的关键成分，是植物中最丰富的资源之一，从林业和农业工业中过剩。今天，木质素主要通过燃烧作为能量补充。木质素没有被广泛利用的原因是由于其大而复杂的分子结构，高度抵抗解聚。解聚通常是创造有价值材料的必要条件，但对于我们打算生产的涂料来说并不需要，因为木质素的大分子链和交联分子链将有利于屏障型涂料。防腐涂料的开发和生产主要是在表面形成一层屏障膜。然而，木质素是一种典型的差膜聚合物，这是本项目的挑战。PI在蓝贻贝的启发下找到了一个聪明的解决方案。贻贝能够牢牢地附着在几乎所有的材料上，比如木头、钢、蜡，甚至是特氟龙。秘密在于贻贝特殊的蛋白质粘合剂。通过木质素和贻贝蛋白的混合，我们可以在金属表面创建具有优异的防腐和耐磨性能的保护涂层。人们发现，贻贝蛋白膜也具有自愈能力，这意味着涂层的轻微损伤可以自行愈合。市场上还有其他涂层在磨损时可以自愈，但往往缺乏防腐功能。另一方面，现有的防腐涂层通常不能自愈。所提出的涂层具有自愈、防腐蚀和防磨损的特性。我们将开发一种环保涂层，以减少腐蚀和磨损，这将增加底层材料的使用寿命。该涂层还可以与其他涂层结合使用，以实现额外的功能，甚至更好的耐久性。该项目有可能在涂料行业创造一个范式转变，增加使用生物质来取代基于化石的、对健康有害和对环境有害的产品。