ActiCoat

Active environmentally friendly coatings for light metals based on combination of nano- and micro-containers

Funding programme

BMBF

Project start

01/09/2019

Project end

31/08/2021

Total budget

150.000 €

Partners

● University of Tartu (EE)
● Frumkin Institute of Physical chemistry and Electrochemistry Russian academy of sciences (RU)
● National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”,(RU)

ACTICOAT project is devoted to the development of novel environmental friendly active anti-corrosion coating systems for light metal structures (Mg, Al) used in automotive and aeronautical design. The present project approaches this issue from the side of synergistic inhibition integrated in protective coatings applied onto the metal substrates.

The main idea is to find the environmental friendly synergistic inhibitive combinations which can provide effective suppression of corrosion of light metals (also for galvanically coupled dissimilar joints). Controlled release of inhibitors is obtained by loading them into appropriate nanocontainers. However, the essential step is the introduction of inhibiting compounds into the protective layers based on an multi-layer concept consisting of PEO coating for promoting adhesion and providing macro-containers, additional or integrated primer layers and final polymer top coats. This approach is used because the loss of nanocontainers to the environment should be minimized thus the containers are added into the open pores of PEO coatings creating a "container in container" solution(Fig. 1).

The achievement of these goals is not possible without extensive support of multi-scale modelling approaches on different stages of development process from inhibitor selection to the final design of the protective system and testing of the release of the inhibitors from the coatings and its impact on environment and health. Molecular modelling approaches will be utilized in the case of inhibitor interaction with metallic, inorganic (PEO macro-container) or polymer interfaces (sealing top coats) and selection of environmental friendly inhibitors.
ACTICOAT project is financed by Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in frame of Era.Net RUS Plus Call 2017.