Environmentally-Compliant, Corrosion-Activated Inhibitors

Foster-Miller, Inc. proposes to develop an environmentally compliant corrosion inhibitor that becomes active only at corrosion sites, remaining dormant in other parts of the paint coating until activated by the initiation of aluminum corrosion. Corrosion inhibition will be achieved by selecting environmentally compliant cations for encapsulation into a polymeric gel which will release them only at corrosion initiation. The corrosion process occurs at defect sites in the protective oxide film on the aluminum substrate and generates a localized increase in alkalinity to trigger the release of the inhibiting cations from the gel. Leaching of corrosion inhibiting from the coating upon exposure to the ambient environment or fluids will be reduced as well as worker exposure to the cations due to encapsulating of the inhibitors in a gel which becomes securely imbedded in the coating. Foster-Miller will team with Gel Sciences, Inc., Professor W. J. van Ooij of the University of Cincinnati, and Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company to select, develop, and evaluate a corrosion inhibition system for epoxy or polyurethane coatings. Preliminary studies on the mechanism of corrosion inhibition will be initiated in Phase I and further developed during Phase II. Phase II also involves the optimization of the corrosion inhibition system as well as studying the effect of our system on the coating characteristics.