STTR Phase I: Multi-functional, epoxy based, low cost nanocomposite coatings for corrosion protection

这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响和商业潜力在于开发低成本、环保的防腐涂层材料。腐蚀是一个重要的全球性问题，导致高昂的维护和维修成本。目前的防腐涂料需要提高对水或湿气的有效阻隔能力。因此，开发改进的耐腐蚀涂层势在必行，从而减少停机时间，减少对设备和重要基础设施的损坏。本研究旨在达到所需的屏障性能水平，以显着提高涂层表面的被动保护。这些涂层材料将是可持续发展的，并且将使用低成本的粘土作为填料，完全或部分取代涂料配方中昂贵的锌填料。该技术有望在基础设施、航运、食品容器、国防、汽车等领域减少腐蚀造成的损害。所使用的主要填料将是无毒的、丰富的、通用的、低成本的，并且很容易适应当前的涂层制造协议，使其在商业上可行。项目一期和二期的成功完成将创造先进制造业的就业机会，降低工业中与腐蚀相关的成本，提高基础设施的使用寿命。STTR第一阶段提案的技术目标是开发一种多功能低成本环氧基纳米复合防腐涂层的平台技术。所提出的多功能涂料的创新在于获得各种填料的好处和组合方法，以协同收获功能性和稳健性。当填料均匀地分散在基体中时，聚合物纳米复合材料提供了利用最大性能优势的机会。金属及其制品的结构完整性直接取决于其抗腐蚀性能，使用改性粘土作为填料可以增强其抗腐蚀性能。利用过渡金属离子改性粘土作为填料，结合分散剂和改善聚合物-填料的相互作用，可以实现对腐蚀反应的被动和主动保护。作为STTR第一阶段合同的一部分，我们将优化配方，以提高涂层的耐腐蚀性和其他关键性能。经过验证的耐腐蚀涂层将通过以下方式转化为商业成功：1)生产和测试新型耐腐蚀涂层配方；2)扩大生产过程；3)为这些涂层的递归设计建立数学模型。在项目结束时，我们将获得一种低成本、低毒性的高性能涂料。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase-I project is in the development of low cost, environmentally-friendly coating materials for corrosion prevention. Corrosion is a significant global issue, resulting in high maintenance and repair costs. Current anti-corrosion coatings need an improvement in effective barrier against water or moisture. As a result, it is imperative to develop improved corrosion resistance coatings, leading to reduced downtime and damage to equipment and important infrastructure. This study aims to achieve the desired level of barrier properties necessary to significantly improve passive protection of the coated surface. These coating material developed will be sustainable and will use low cost clay as fillers to replace expensive Zinc fillers in coating formulations, completely or partially. The developed technology will have the potential to reduce damages due to corrosion in spectrum of industries spanning infrastructure, shipping, food containers, defense, and automobile domains. Primary fillers used will be non-toxic, abundantly available, versatile, low-cost, and easily adaptable with current coating manufacturing protocols, making them commercially viable. Successful completion of project phase I & II will result in advanced manufacturing job creation and reduce corrosion related costs in industry and improve infrastructure lifetime.The technical objective of this STTR Phase-I proposal is developing a platform technology for multi- functional low cost epoxy-based nanocomposite coatings for corrosion protection. The innovation in the proposed multi-functional coatings lay in deriving the benefits of various fillers and a combinatorial approach to synergistic harvesting of functionality and robustness. Polymer nanocomposites provide an opportunity to harness the maximum benefits of properties when fillers are uniformly dispersed in the host matrix. The structural integrity of metal and its products is directly dependent on its anti-corrosive properties, which can be enhanced using modified clay as fillers. Passive and active protection against corrosion reaction can be achieved by using transition metal ion modified clay as a filler coupled with dispersion and improved polymer-filler interactions. As part of this STTR Phase-I award we will optimize the formulations such that corrosion resistance and other key properties of coatings are enhanced. The validated corrosion resistance coatings will then be translated towards commercial success by: i) producing and benchmarking novel coating formulations for corrosion resistance, ii) scaling-up the production process, iii) mathematical modeling for recursive design of these coatings. At end of the project we will have a superior low cost multi-functional coating with lower toxic footprint.