Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Sustainable Anticorrosive Self-Healing Smart Coatings for Metal Protection
EPA Grant Number: SU835991Title: Sustainable Anticorrosive Self-Healing Smart Coatings for Metal Protection
Investigators: Wei, Suying
Institution: Lamar University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2016
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2015) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Chemical Safety , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Metal corrosions have caused serious economic losses to global economies. Existing anticorrosion coating technologies rely heavily on fast-depleting petroleum-based chemicals; meanwhile, the volatile organic solvents employed during the coating manufacturing procedures and the resulted non-degradable and/or toxic polymer wastes have caused increasing concerns over both health and the environment. To address this challenge, the objective of this project is to design and synthesize sustainable and green smart anticorrosive coating systems with self-healing and feed-back properties using linseed oil (LO) monomers that are benign and abundant in nature as the raw materials.
In the project, LO monomers will serve as the polymerizable healing core materials while the coating matrixes and microcontainers will be fabricated from LO monomers. The microcapsules encapsulating LO monomers will then be dispersed in the coating matrix to obtain the smart coating system. An excellent compatibility between the coating matrix and the microcapsules are expected considering the chemical bonds formed between the functional groups of the former and the latter, which therefore, will ensure a uniform distribution of the microcapsules in the coating matrix and good mechanical strength of the coating. The working principle of the smart coating system is illustrated in Scheme 1. An approaching crack ruptures microcapsules embedded in the coating matrix, releasing the healing agent of LO monomers into the crack plane through capillary action. Oxidative polymerization of LO monomers will be triggered by contact with atmosphere oxygen and the cracks will be filled by the resulting polymer films. The damage-induced triggering mechanism will provide site-specific autonomic control of repair.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
At the end of the project, we will have synthesized the four types of coating matrixes: 1) LO-based polyurethane, 2) urethane modified LO-based epoxies, 3) urethane modified LO-based polyesteramide, and 4) urethane modified LO-based polyetheramide. The microcapsules will also be synthesized and dispersed into the individual coating matrix for further testing.
Conclusions:
The coating systems are envisioned to provide industries with non-toxic, biodegradable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective smart coatings for a sustainable development. This project will minimize hazardous chemicals released to the environment by the selection of benign and sustainable raw materials and appropriate manufacturing procedures. Meanwhile, the bio-degradability of the ecofriendly polymeric coating systems will reduce marine pollution and air pollution caused by non-degradable polymer wastes and the incinerating of the wastes.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Bio-based feed stocks, green chemistry, biopolymers, toxic use reductionThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.