Dual-Layer Coatings for Iron and Steel Corrosion Protection

Descripción del proyecto

Solución de revestimiento de doble capa para lograr la anticorrosión del acero

La corrosión deteriora los metales. El mercado de los revestimientos anticorrosión afronta retos relacionados con los elevados costes y la toxicidad. Un proyecto financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación ha patentado un recubrimiento de doble capa que combina N-carbeno heterocíclico (NHC) con un polímero, consiguiendo hasta un 99,5 % de resistencia a la corrosión al tiempo que resulta no tóxico y rentable. El proyecto DualCoat, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, creará una empresa derivada para comercializar esta solución innovadora en sectores como el del petróleo y el gas, el naval, el de la construcción y el aeroespacial. La empresa pretende demostrar las ventajas del revestimiento de polímero NHC, recabar datos de socios y usuarios finales para diseñar pruebas de rendimiento y desarrollar una formulación optimizada para el hierro y el acero, incluidos métodos de aplicación por pulverización.

Objetivo

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.