University UK
Have developed (and continue to do so) sol-gel based coatings that can be deposited and cured at a range of temperatures from 400oC down to room temperature. These are ceramic-based coatings, which may be modified to provide specific functionality.
Corrosion and Fire Resistant Coatings
• The Technology Road Map for nanocomposites prepared by Faraday Plastics in 2004 identified coatings as the most likely route to a rapid return using nanotechnology.
• Staff in the Institute combined expertise in layered silicates; nanocomposites and corrosion science to evaluate coatings prepared using conventional low aspect ratio particles and commercial nanofillers in standard unsaturated polyester and epoxy formulations used for corrosion resistant coatings.
• The synergy arising from the combination of conventional and nanosized additives realised coatings which exhibited charge transfer resistance values that are 100 to 1000 better than the resin alone.
• Professor group is also funded to investigate the fire retardant, barrier and mechanical properties of clay-based nanocomposites for structural applications.
• The work on fire retardant properties, which has identified halogen free formulations which compete with fully halogenated resins, should be directly transferable to the novel corrosion resistant systems with only minor modification.
Coatings to mitigate microbial induced corrosion (MIC)
The aim of this research is to develop technology to enable the formulation of a biofilm retardant, low temperature cure (< 35oC), environmentally friendly (Cr6+ - free) sol-gel coating to minimise/mitigate MIC. Mitigation/remediation of this type of damage is often based upon the use of chemical biocides, the majority of which are environmentally unfriendly.
Sol-gel technology and sol-gel derived coatings are being widely investigated and recent studies at the institute have shown that sol-gel ‘ceramic’-based coatings can provide good corrosion resistance on appropriate metal substrates. This is attributed to their barrier properties, tenacious adhesion to metal substrates, chemical inertness, versatility in coating formulation and ease of application under ambient temperature conditions. The concept of ‘tailoring’ the sol-gel coating to provide specific functionality has been proven by the laboratory production, at the institute, of a sol-gel based bio-sensor that can detect low levels of phenol in water samples.
