Solvent Free: exploiting sustainable paint technologies for steel products

背景：Tata Steel UK是欧洲最大的预涂钢生产商之一，生产的顶级产品在整个欧洲都有指定用途，主要用于建筑行业。为了保持这一地位，该组织不断努力改进现有的产品系列，无论是通过开发建筑行业的一流涂料，改进服务产品还是通过增加功能。塔塔的优质涂层产品可以提供长达40年的免维护保修，这项技术是基于数十年的经验，制定油漆来源于化石燃料作为其原料。随着对可持续发展和循环经济的日益关注，塔塔钢铁英国公司制定了明确的碳减排战略。这一战略的一部分要求开发相同的市场领先的性能产品，但没有溶剂，这将有助于减少塔塔钢铁的碳足迹。每年，制造基地生产超过300，000吨预-该研究项目将从根本上改变聚合物，以生产可持续发展的产品，从而帮助塑造英国企业的可持续发展未来。市场领先的产品提供给客户。该项目的研究目标是：-与公司的主要涂料供应商合作，充分了解当前的涂料配方。-使用供应商的知识，他们可以提供关键成分的合成替代品，并根据这些替代品配制油漆，以消除对化石溶剂的需求。通过外部和加速测试分析材料。- 使用分析技术，如UV、ATR FTIR和拉曼光谱，确定有机涂层降解和侵蚀的机制和速率。- 与团队中的其他研究人员合作开发该技术，并通过使用试验生产线展示其潜力。

Background:Tata Steel UK is one of the largest producers of pre-painted steel in Europe and produces top range products which are specified throughout Europe, primarily for use in the construction industry. To maintain this position, the organisation is constantly trying to improve the current product range, either through the development of best-in-class coatings for the construction industry, improved offerings in service or through added functionality. Tata's premium coated products can offer maintenance free warranties of up to 40 years and this technology is based on decades of experience formulating paints sourced from fossil fuels as their feedstock. With ever increasing focus on sustainability credentials and the circular economy, Tata Steel UK have a clear carbon reduction strategy. Part of this strategy requires developing the same market leading performance products but without solvents which will help reduce the carbon footprint of Tata Steel.Each year, the manufacturing site produces in excess of 300,000 tonnes of pre-finished steel product using several different polymer systems.This research project will help shape the sustainability future of the UK business by fundamentally changing the polymers to produce sustainable market leading products supplied to customers.The project aims of the research will be to:- Work in conjunction with the key paint supplier to the company to fully understand the current paint formulation.- Use gained knowledge of suppliers who can offer synthetic alternatives of the key ingredients and formulate paints based on these alternatives to remove the need for fossil-based solvents.- Analyse materials via external and accelerated testing. - Use analytical techniques such as UV, ATR FTIR and Raman spectroscopy to determine the mechanism and rates of organic coating degradation and erosion. - Work in conjunction with other researchers in the group to develop the technology and demonstrate its potential via the use of a pilot production line.