This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to design and develop new water-based corrosion resistant silicon coatings. There are a number of corrosion resistant coatings for aircrafts available in the market and the majority of them either contain carcinogenic chromates or are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The use of these coatings containing carcinogens and/or VOCs is not acceptable due to the ill-effects of these chemicals to humans and the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop water-based coatings containing environmentally safe ingredients, which have superior corrosion resistant properties. This firm has invented a number of water-based coatings to coat aluminum, carbon steel and stainless steel substrates. The preliminary results of these coatings on carbon steel show that the adhesion on the metal is excellent and the coatings possess corrosive resistant properties in atmospheric and aqueous environments. The coated substrates will be tested for corrosion resistance up to 500 C and the salt fog test (ASTM B-117 and ASTM G85) will also be carried out. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopic (EIS) measurements will be performed on these coated substrates to ascertain the corrosion resistant nature of the coatings. The results of Phase I and Phase II research will provide corrosion protection coating formulations for a range of metallic substrates and these coatings will be efficient, low cost, and environmentally benign. The water-based coatings can be used in the exhaust components of automobiles and diesel engines. They can be used for substrates ranging from aluminum for the aerospace industry to carbon steel for the automobile industry. They can also be used as corrosion resistant liners in reaction vessels of the chemical industry.
