ANALYSIS
A New Standard in Corrosion Prevention: How Self-Healing Coatings Enable Significant ROI to End-Users Gordon Fischer, Magnus Andersson Autonomic Materials, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (USA)
C
grant@autonomicmaterials.com
orrosion is an immediate and pressing
even as they improve iteratively, have severe
Self-healing additives arrest the
problem for anyone who builds,
performance limitations. Even with improved
propagation of corrosion. AMI’s
maintains, and utilizes steel equipment
formulation techniques, more effective resins,
self-healing additive technology has
and structures.
etc., exposure of the substrate, after damage
demonstrated the ability to repair the
Asset owners make significant investments
to the coating has occurred, remains a major
coating and prevent delamination,
in preventing the occurrence and spread of
challenge. Once exposed, the substrate
thereby preserving the anti-corrosion
corrosion, as well as in repairing corrosion
succumbs to corrosion at the exposed site.
functionality of the coating. Moreover,
damage. According to data from NACE
The coating-substrate interface then degrades,
this technology is autonomic,
International, the estimated annual direct
leaving the coating unable to adequately
meaning it requires no mechanical
cost of corrosion in the U.S. is $276
or human intervention to
billion – approximately 3.1% of the
provide healing at the site
nation’s total GDPI. That figure is not an
of damage. Self-healing
outlier; similar costs apply globally. In China, it’s $310 billion USD, or 3.34% of GDP . In turn, preventing corrosion II
could result in global savings between 15-35% of the cost of damage, or anywhere between $375 billion and $875 billion. Corrosion, of course, results in structural degradation that can, if untreated, lead to complete failure. Worse, problems with corrosion can start almost immediately. The U.S. Army, for example, has used a conventional epoxy system on some
Corrosion is an immediate and pressing problem for anyone who builds, maintains, and utilizes steel equipment and structures. Asset owners make significant investments in preventing the occurrence and spread of corrosion, as well as in repairing corrosion damage. According to data from NACE International, the estimated annual direct cost of corrosion in the U.S. is $276 billion – approximately 3.1% of the nation’s total GDP. That figure is not an outlier; similar costs apply globally.”
additives for anti-corrosive coatings represent a qualitatively new technology that enables protective coatings to self-repair. When such coatings are damaged in service, the healing agent flows out of the coating into the site of damage, where it forms a protective layer, passivates the damaged area and delays or prevents further corrosion of the
of its seaborne vehicles – only to find
underlying metal substrate
that the epoxy system would begin to oxidize and corrode within 6 months at sea.
protect the substrate. Corrosion subsequently
(Fig. 1). Consequently, formulating
Then, problems can be widespread, as well: an
advances rapidly by compromising the
these microcapsules containing a
inspection of Canadian army vehicles found
coating’s adhesion to the substrate and causing
self-healing agent into paint greatly
that 25% of the fleet suffered from severe
delamination of surrounding coating and
extends the coating’s serviceable
corrosion .
exposing more substrate. In this way, corrosion
lifespan by minimizing repaints and
Unfortunately, existing protective coatings,
spreads faster and faster.
constant touch-ups.
III
Opening photo: AMI’s self-healing additive technology has demonstrated the ability to repair the coating and prevent delamination, thereby preserving the anti-corrosion functionality of the coating.
international PAINT&COATING magazine - JULY/AUGUST 2018 - N. 52
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