SBIR Phase I: Transparent Flexible Quasi-Ceramic Intelligent Multifunctional Coatings for Corrosion and Biofouling Protection

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase-I project employs the development of intelligent and sustainable coating technology to present a game changing option to the corrosion protection coating industry. The annual global cost of corrosion is estimated to be US$2.5 trillion while USA alone has to lose more than $1 trillion. The global anticorrosion coating market has been valued for more than US$14 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach beyond US$26 billion in 2022. Apart from inferior performance, currently available corrosion prevention coatings pose significant threat to the environment and human health. It is very hard for the poor and developing countries to bear the related costs. Development of this multifunctional coating will afford them a safer alternative for protecting their assets. In preliminary experiments, this coating innovation has shown significant potential in preventing corrosion and biofouling activity on the treated surface. The thermal analysis and nanomechanical analysis have indicated that these coatings have exceptionally high thermal and mechanical stability approaching that of ceramic materials. Based on the preliminary data, it is safe to state that these coatings present a breakthrough in the area of surface protection through barrier coatings. The intellectual merit of this project includes the development of user friendly multifunctional coating for wide variety of substrates. Historically, chromate conversion coatings (CCC) have been extensively used in preventing metals from corroding. However, there are serious concerns over the use of CCC as it poses human health risks. Carcinogenic hexavalent chromium ions used in coating technology for the corrosion protection of metals are being phased out by Environmental Protection Agency in USA and Registration Evaluation Authorization and Restrictions of Chemicals regulation in Europe. The key innovation of this project is the development of a liquid precursor to a transparent strong ceramic-like coating that can protect substrates from harsh environmental conditions. This ready to use thin coating, suitable for application in the automobile and aerospace industries, adheres strongly to most substrates, adds minimal weight and can be transparent or pigmented. Besides corrosion protection, the coating can also provide scratch resistance, oleophobicity, and possibly anti-microbial properties to numerous surfaces.