SBIR Phase II: Durable Superhydrophobic Smart Coating with Active Corrosion Protection

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to dramatically improve the corrosion protection of metal assets vital to the energy and transportation industries. Corrosion contributes to the loss of structural integrity of metal structures, which poses a risk to human safety and the surrounding environment. Metal corrosion costs an estimated $2.5 T globally, with US costs representing roughly 25%. Durable, anticorrosive, highly water-repellent coatings using special materials can potentially double the lifetime of coatings on oil platforms and ships in a way that protects the environment. This extends maintenance cycles and reduces asset lifetime maintenance costs up to 50%. The high performance will also reduce the number of coating layers, reducing labor costs up to 25% per maintenance cycle. This technology will improve structural safety, reduce maintenance frequency, lengthen the operating lifetimes, improve environmental characteristics, and reduce the costs of operating and maintaining metal assets. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project further translates coatings of superhydrophobic smart particles for high-performance anticorrosion paints. These superhydrophobic particles offer new on-demand release of corrosion inhibitors (active corrosion protection) and superhydrophobicity (passive corrosion protection) into one multi-functional material, unlike current state of practice. The platform nature of the technology enables inclusion of numerous types of corrosion inhibitors to safeguard delicate marine environments. Smart particles can then be incorporated into many existing coating systems to deliver a unique combination of durable, anticorrosive, and highly water-repellent coatings. This project will optimize production processes and conduct verification and validation tests. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.