Paolo Alessi from Nanto Protective Coatings offers an insight into the anti-corrosion materials nanocoatings market.
Corrosion is becoming a significant problem for owners of industrial equipment, installations, and plants. Being a slow process it can change assuming many forms and arising very rapidly since it is triggered by environmental factors, such as oxygen and water, which cannot be eliminated. It is possible, however, to prevent corrosion, thanks to increasingly innovative technologies that shift the focus of the problem from the protection against corrosion to its prevention.
The presence of corrosive chemicals and harsh operating and environmental conditions can result in structural failure or loss of containment, which can be costly in terms of repairs, lost or contaminated products, environmental damage, and potential risk to personnel. Corrosion factor is very costly and has a major impact on the economies of industrial nations companies. Fight against corrosion depends on technological expertise and has a wide variety of applications, one of which is coatings for corrosion resistance.
One of the main goals is identifying national strategies able to minimize the impact of corrosion protecting it at the same time of preventing its development.Nowadays, annual direct cost of metallic corrosion in U.S. economy is estimated $ 300 billion and € 200 billion in Europe.
While there is an increasing need for more effective and less costly products, EU and government regulations are also driving demand for lower content of chemicals in coatings. The need for innovation is urgent.
A system that protects and prevents corrosion must have all these features:
– High insulation and almost no permeability to water and oxygen;
– Very high adhesion to the metal surface and absolute continuity of the coating film;
– High mechanical strength and psycho-chemical inertia with respect to environment in which it is applied.
One approach that is getting more and more important is the combination of traditional coating know-how and nanotechnology.
The outcomes of this mix are protective coatings with nanoparticles, that can be of different kind, as industrial protective coatings, corrosion protection coatings, thermal resistant, fire retardant coatings, water based anti-corrosion coatings and fire retardant polymers.
For this reason nanocomposites are more and more considered as the key technology.Nanocomposites are particular composites materials with at least a phase in the nanoscale size (between 0,1 and 100nm). This family of materials, often displays original properties in respect to their homologues without nanoscale features. This is due to the dramatic increase of the surface area and the associated interface phenomena. Advantages are expressed in terms of improvement of performances or in terms of implementation of innovative functionalities. Such advantages are transversal across practically all major market sectors: automotive, aerospace and defence, electronics, clean tech, biomed, constructions. Coating formulations incorporating nano-technology are a particular category of nanocomposites. Following the general trend described above, their use has increased a lot in recent years.
Nanocoatings can significantly increase the cost/benefit ratio, providing cost effective solutions and improved performances. Moreover, nanotechnology implementing new functionalities, enable the possibility to achieve completely innovative characteristics and the possibility to achieve multifunctional coatings and smart coatings.
Main market drivers are as follows:
-constantly increasing requirements on the performance of anti-corrosion coatings
-rising cost awareness
-increasing environmental attention related to the reduction of solvent content
-growing application of surface tolerant protective coatings systems or coatings providing universal adhesion
-replacement of toxic inhibitors such as hexavalent chromium
The following list shows sectors that can be positively affect by the use of anticorrosive coatings: Oil and Gas, Shipping and Shipyard sector, Energy, Infrastructures, Rolling Stock, Lifting equipment, Port machinery and the Lighting sector.
The advantages of anticorrosive coating are clear and visible, that is the increase of the coating durability (longer time protection), with high effect on the coating barrier and a long term corrosion protection.
There are significant new developments occurring in the corrosion segment. Numerous companies – both large, well established corporations and small, entrepreneurial firms – have focussed on developing products for the coatings marketplace which aim to differentiate themselves with nanotechnology.
Global nanomaterial demand will rise 21 percent annually through 2013 and this trend is expected to be respected in the following years. Between 2010 and 2015 nanomaterials will no longer be novel and niche market materials, finding use not only as replacement materials but also as materials of choice for new products, allowing for broader use in various applications. For instance, global market estimate for paints is almost 70 bn €.
Paints and coatings serve as one of the key methods for protecting metal surfaces from corrosion. Global growth has been pegged at 3.5-4% per year. This growth rate has been achieved despite several negative factors currently active in the paints and coatings marketplace. Rising raw material and energy prices, the introduction of new regulatory restrictions, and the potential for overcapacity in the near future are all impacting margins.
Nanto Protective Coating, provides industrial innovative nano-coatings for the manufacture industry, marine, energy and lighting sectors and smart coating for cleantech sector. The NPC’s core know-how developed by the company can be used both as Industrial maintenance but also on new markets transferring and competing with major portfolio products in order to provide new products also to new structures.
Nanto Protective Coating was founded in April 2010 with the goal to develop products such as innovative coatings and polymers based on proprietary nanotechnology. According to Dr. Roberto Cafagna, Nanto Protective Coating’s CEO “NPC is engaged in R&D activities and product development, extending the existing product portfolio, mainly based on customer needs, joint projects and collaborations. Value is consequently create from technology commercialization by means of production and distribution licensing agreements and direct sales of products supplied by manufacturing industrial partners”. The team has a proven track in technology start-up launch, together with business development and marketing expertises. In addition to the team of executives, who are continuously supporting company’s development, NPC has a very effective network of partners and collaborators that sustain R&D and product development activities, such as the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat-Gan (Israel), the University of Bergamo (Department of Physics), the University of Trento (Department of Materials Engineering and Industrial Technologies) and dedicated Chemical Lab, such as NanoFab and Vega in Padoa (Nanotechology Italian Cluster).
NPC targets the protective coating segment (37% – € 25,7 bn) which is the largest segment of global market for anti-corrosion paints and coatings. Overall, the market is nearly evenly split between North America, Asia, and Europe.
The patented NPC technology developed the effectiveness of nanoclays as barrier elements to corrosion (oxygen and humidity) and to thermal control. Nanoclay composites are currently generating a great deal of interest due to their potential cost effective advantages in barrier properties. Nanoclays are montmorillonite minerals which have been treated with compatibilizing agents, enabling them to disperse and orientate opportunely into resins.
In the last two years, NPC has been conducting technology research and focussed its efforts on the development of nanocomposites and in particular of nanoclay containing thermosets and thermoplastics. Starting from base research performed by international research partners, NPC has gone through all the product development value chain up to the production and commercialization of highly efficient anticorrosion and fire retardant coatings and polymers.All these sectors offering a Cost effective approach have unique Anticorrosion Properties and have already had a huge result, that is getting up to + 30 % with extended lifetime against corrosion.
Professor Samuel Kenig, Dean of the Engineering Faculty at Shenkar University of Tel Aviv and currently NPC’s Technical Director for R&D and nanoclay functionalization of new production plant run the initial tests that, in an early technology stage showed an increased barrier effect of epoxy protective coating following the use of functionalized nanoclay. Prof. Kenig confirmed also that “NPC supplies intelligent coatings which meet the highest standards of quality and add real value and benefits for a broad range of market sectors and various applications”.
NPC pipeline is constantly growing adapting to the need of the market and the exigencies of customers and of the environment. A continuous R&D activity and a customer based approach are the major selling points of the company, which is building on this innovation factor a strategy of a fast and sustainable penetration in the market.
A huge respect for the environment leads to stronger cleantech version of the line of products and to high interest into a greener technology. NPC strongly believe in a “Cleantech Style life” in order to innovate and create a diverse range of innovative products that optimize the use of natural resources or reduces the negative environmental impact of their use while creating value by lowering costs, improving efficiency or providing superior performance.
A first series of solvent based anticorrosion paint, called N.P.C. 100, is ready to market. This product can offer a unique cost effective solution to the problem of corrosion. N.P.C. 100, exploiting a patented proprietary nanotechnology, provides a barrier effect up to 30% higher than existing anticorrosion coatings. N.P.C. 100 series will soon be expanded to additional solvent system, water based system and powder based system.
A part from the anticorrosion coatings which have some products ready to market and other very close to market, NPC is also active on a set of R&D activities which will provide the next series of NPC high performance coatings. This is to expand the product pipeline in order to support a continuous, strong and sustainable growth of the company.
Author:
Paola Alessi
NANTO PROTECTIVE COATING SRL
www.nantopaint.com
Figure 1: Untreated surface
Figure 2: Treated surface
