STTR Phase I: Field-Applicable Anticorrosion Coatings Using Polyaniline Nanofibers

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该小企业技术转让一期项目涉及开发和表征一种新型的零VOC，零HAP和零重金属含量的活性防腐涂料。该涂料将没有溶剂或载体，没有干燥时间，也没有固化时间。该涂层基于Resodyn新发现的一种方法，在坚韧、粘附的专有热塑性基质中形成电化学活性纳米颗粒的非聚集分散体。新发现的复合涂层材料可以通过使用Resodyn公司开发的新型聚合物热喷涂系统在工厂或现场应用于钢结构。这些热塑性涂层也可以现场修复。在这个项目中，合成将被优化，以产生高表面积的电化学活性纳米颗粒分散在热塑性基体中。该工艺将扩大规模，以生产有用数量的具有不同热塑性组合物、几种不同浓度的纳米颗粒和两种形式的纳米颗粒的涂层材料。然后将这些涂层涂覆到钢基材上，并表征其机械、阻隔和活性电化学性能。试件和钢筋将暴露在严重的腐蚀条件下，以验证实验室的结果。腐蚀是一个每年3000亿美元的问题。在桥梁和其他基础设施中，无论是内部（钢筋混凝土中的钢筋）还是外部（钢结构），钢材腐蚀都是特别令人关注的问题;仅桥梁腐蚀的直接成本每年就在60亿至100亿美元之间。最有效的防腐蚀处理，如铬酸盐和溶剂型涂料，具有严重的环境危害。诸如环氧树脂的阻隔涂层可以提供一定程度的保护，但是难以甚至不可能现场施加，可能在运输和处理中损坏，并且通常需要用于任何户外暴露的面漆。该涂料将是无溶剂的、即时固化的、单一部分的、没有适用期或保质期问题的、非金属的，并且在工厂和原位应用中使用简单。现场修复划痕和凿痕将能够通过一个简单的熔化过程。涂层也会在腐蚀开始的区域改变颜色，在任何实际腐蚀损坏发生之前发出早期警告，需要进行修复。该涂层将实现一种环境友好的方法，以与当前防腐处理相当的成本显着延长钢铁基础设施的寿命，这代表了一个潜在的18亿美元的市场。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project involves the development and characterization of a new type of active anticorrosion coating with zero VOC, zero HAP, and zero heavy metal content. The coating will have no solvent or carrier, no drying time, and no curing time. This coating is based on a method, newly discovered at Resodyn, to create a non-aggregated dispersion of electrochemically active nanoparticles in a tough, adherent proprietary thermoplastic matrix. The newly discovered composite coating material may be applied either the factory or in the field to steel structures by using a novel polymer thermal spray system developed by Resodyn Corporation. These thermoplastic coatings may also be field-repaired. In this project, the synthesis will be optimized to yield high surface area electrochemically active nanoparticles dispersed in the thermoplastic matrix. The process will be scaled up to produce useful quantities of the coating material with varying thermoplastic compositions, several different concentrations of nanoparticles, and two forms of nanoparticles. These coatings will then be applied to steel substrates, and characterized for mechanical, barrier, and active electrochemical properties. Test coupons and rebar will be exposed to severe corrosion conditions to validate the laboratory results.Corrosion is a $300 billion per year problem. Steel corrosion is of particular concern in bridges and other infrastructure, both internally (rebar in reinforced concrete) and externally (steel structures); direct cost of bridge corrosion alone is between $6-10 billion annually. The most effective anticorrosion treatments, such as chromates and solvent-borne coatings, carry severe environmental hazards. Barrier coatings such as epoxy can provide a degree of protection, but are difficult-to-impossible to field-apply, can be damaged in shipping and handling, and generally need a topcoat for any outdoor exposure. This coating material would be solvent free, instant curing, single part, no pot life or shelf life issues, non-metallic, and simple to use in both factory and in situ applications. Field repair of scratches and gouges would be capable of being done by a simple melting process. The coating will also change color in areas where corrosion is incipient, giving an early warning that a repair will be necessary before any actual corrosion damage can occur. The coating will enable an environmentally friendly method of significantly extending the life of steel infrastructure at a comparable cost to current anticorrosion treatments, which represents a potential $1.8 billion market.