Dual-Layer Coatings for Iron and Steel Corrosion Protection

Introduction

Corrosion undermines metal integrity, resulting in significant environmental and economic damage (exceeding $2.5 trillion). The anti-corrosion coating market was $34.8B in 2022; however, anti-corrosive coatings have three limitations:

1. High costs
2. Toxicity
3. Limited effectiveness.

Project Development

During my ERC project, we developed and patented a technology that uses a dual-layer coating, engineered at the molecular level to provide a highly stable coating on iron to mitigate corrosion formation.

The system consists of:

• A primer monolayer of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) molecules, which is strongly anchored to the metal.
• A top layer of a tailored polymer network, chemically linked to the NHC monolayer.

Performance and Benefits

The dual-layer coating yields superior corrosion resistance (up to 99.5% effectiveness) with no toxicity effect and can be produced and delivered at low costs.

Market Application

This project aims to assist us in creating a spin-off company serving several market sectors (e.g., Oil and Gas, Marine, Construction, Aerospace, etc.). However, these sectors represent conservative industries that require rigorous proof and client education of the added value provided by our dual-layer NHC-polymer coating.

Requirements and Testing

Hence, the project will include requirements capture from potential partners and end-users for the design of thorough performance testing versus available solutions.

Beyond testing, the technological process of the project will include the development of:

1. Optimized dual-layer coating formulation on iron and steel.
2. Spray-based procedures for on-site coating.

Anticipated Outcomes

The anticipated outcome is a scalable, commercially viable technology with a minimum protection efficiency of over 95% after 1000 hours of aging in corrosive media. This innovation holds significant potential for reducing maintenance costs and extending the lifespan of iron and steel across several industries.