Breakthrough in extending the life of metal on building exteriors? Looking for experts in corrosion to help me assess a new product

Materials
1

I’m evaluating a new self-healing coating technology that may represent a breakthrough in extending the life of metal surfaces in the built environment by reducing corrosion damage.

The Company developing the technology is Autonomic Materials, Incorporated and the product is AmpArmour..

I’d appreciate the advice of anyone with expertise in corrosion about how to evaluate the potential for this product.

2

Hi Jeff - this is an interesting idea, I would be concerned about the curing capability in service environments, typically protective coatings are applied in controlled conditions, and field repairs will generally have shorter lives. If you’ve any papers detailing the technology I’d be keen to read them.

3

Chevron published results of a field trial recently. You can find it here:https://www.pcimag.com/articles/107642-incorporation-of-self-healing-technology-into-protective-coatings.

I’m trying to assess how hard it will be to get this product adopted in the building industry which is notoriously conservative and clubby. Do you have a point of view on how to find early adopter customers for a product like this?

4

Perhaps for some developers in the Middle East with iconic projects and massive budgets. You would want to know how long the functionality lasts, and whether this pigment loading compromises the coating in other ways. Epoxies in general are not very green, typically made with bisphenol-A, it would be interesting to see the EPD for these products.

In my opinion natural materials that don’t need coatings are a better option… still, extending service life of assets has advantages in reducing future embodied carbon.

5

Thanks for sharing the link. Will take a look!

Regarding integrating new products, usually we have most success on the design side when there is a specific use where other materials just do not compare. An example is the Aerolon coating (by Tnemec) which mitigates condensation due to thermal bridging. I’ve had several projects due to structural loads anticipated where we wouldn’t use a thermal break (like Fabreeka) and thus at those canopies or balconies, we were able to use the Aerolon coating although at the time it wasn’t particularly well-known or used.

A couple things to keep in mind and prepare for: (writing this before perusing the site, so forgive me if these are answered in the website):

  • application. can this coating be applied and repaired in the field with equipment already present? Or, is shop application preferred? What level of self-healing does the coating have?
  • fire performance: what is the ASTM E 84 performance of the coating?
  • life time/cost: does the coating need to be maintained? If so, at what interval? And, how much time does the coating afford the material? Are there case studies? And how much the initial cost of the coating (material and install) per unit of area?
  • regarding corrosion damage: is this prevention of oxidation due to moisture or the elements? And/or does this coating have the ability to prevent galvanic corrosion (corrosion between dissimilar materials)?
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THanks Kat. I look forward to hearing what you think after reviewing the company’s information. Coatings are a new topic for me so I’ve got a lot to learn.

Jeff