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Dual-Layer Coatings for Iron and Steel Corrosion Protection

Project description

Dual-layer coating solution for steel anti-corrosion

Corrosion causes damage to metals. The anti-corrosion coating market faces challenges related to high costs and toxicity. An ERC-funded project has patented a dual-layer coating that combines N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) with a polymer, achieving up to 99.5 % corrosion resistance while remaining non-toxic and cost-effective. The ERC-funded DualCoat project will establish a spin-off company to commercialise this innovative solution across industries such as oil and gas, marine, construction, and aerospace. The company aims to demonstrate the advantages of the NHC-polymer coating, gather input from partners and end-users to design performance tests, and develop an optimised formulation for iron and steel, including spray application methods.

Objective

Corrosion undermines metal integrity, resulting in significant environmental and economic damage (exceeding $ 2.5 trillion). The anti-corrosion coating market was $ 34.8B in 2022, however, anti-corrosive coatings have three limitations: (1) High costs (2) Toxicity (3) Limited effectiveness. During my ERC project we developed and patented a technology that uses a dual-layer coating, engineered at the molecular level to provide a highly stable coating on iron to mitigate corrosion formation. The system consists of a primer monolayer of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) molecules, that is strongly anchored to the metal and a top layer of a tailored polymer network, chemically linked to the NHC monolayer. The dual-layer coating yields superior corrosion resistance (up to 99.5% effectiveness) with no toxicity effect and can be produced and delivered at low costs. This project aim is to assist us in creating a spin-off company serving several market sectors (e.g. Oil and Gas, Marine, Construction, Aerospace, etc.). However, these sectors represent conservative industries which require rigorous proof and client education of the added value provided by our dual-layer NHC-polymer coating. Hence, the project will include requirements capture from potential partners and end-users for the design of thorough performance testing versus available solutions. Beyond testing, the technological process of the project will include development of (i) optimized dual layer coating formulation on iron and steel and (ii) spray-based procedures for on-site coating. The anticipated outcome is a scalable, commercially viable technology with a minimum protection efficiency of over 95% after 1000 hours of aging in corrosive media. This innovation holds significant potential for reducing maintenance costs and extending the lifespan of iron and steel across several industries.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) ERC-2024-POC

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Host institution

THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM
Net EU contribution
€ 150 000,00
Address
EDMOND J SAFRA CAMPUS GIVAT RAM
91904 Jerusalem
Israel
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Beneficiaries (1)