Novel VOC-Compliant Water Displacing Coatings for Corrosion Control

A VOC-compliant corrosion preventative compound (CPC) is proposed for maintaining structural metals such as aluminum and steel in a marine environment. The proposed research explores the feasibility of using an aqueous dispersion of film-forming and water-displacing compounds to yield corrosion inhibiting films with excellent adhesion to metals, primers and coatings. The proposed CPC formulations, although waterborne, would possess the ability to displace absorbed water from the surfaces of poorly treated metallic substrates and exclude water from the coating-metal interface. The interaction of the proposed coating components and hydrated metal surfaces will be computer simulated to optimize the water displacing properties and guide the formulation work. The VOC-compliant coatings would be tested against conventional solventborne CPCs for water displacing ability, adhesion and corrosion inhibition. The ability to form strongly adherent, durable barrier coatings over poorly treated structural metal alloys without the need for volatile organic solvents would represent a significant advancement in corrosion engineering and naval aircraft maintenance technology.