New technology to protect homes from corrosion

Home is where your heart is, and that is why your home needs the best of everything. Whether it is building or buying a new property, there are certain things which are essential to check. The construction technique, the raw materials used, the design, the basic structure and foundation strength, preventive coatings on walls and metals are few things to check to ensure the quality of construction. This way, you can make sure that your home stays safe and comfortable without costing you too much too often.

Corrosion: A problem wrecking your home’s foundation.    

A common problem people often face in households is corrosion. With time, structures often face issues such as corrosion that could question the integrity of the entire building. Factors such as water, oxygen, or moisture cause corrosion of metals which could be a part of various structures in your building. Damages are quite visible in areas such as pipes. There are metal rods used in the foundation and for the basic construction of the building that could also face similar problems. In the long run, this could make your home weak and unsafe. 

Simple Solutions available to prevent corrosion  

Like various other problems, corrosion also has tons of home remedies that we use for visible areas such as tapes, pipes. These remedies vary from using acids or chemical reagents, to kitchen materials, such as citrus peels. Based on the severity of the corrosion, different types of remedies can be useful. The type of corrosion in your home is the key to finding a solution for it. There are three significant kinds of corrosion that affect homes. Pitting corrosion refers to a scenario where the metal surface looks eaten away from above or below. This type of corrosion could lead to severe structural weakness, as this affects the thickness of the metal surface. This type of corrosion is rather difficult to recognize or spot.

Another type of corrosion affecting homes is contact or crevice corrosion. It is merely a new surface showing signs of rusting if left in contact with a previously rusting surface. These are common in household metal works such as pipes, tools, and taps. It is a more straightforward problem to solve as this does not affect the basic structure of the metal. There are various types of coating available to cover metal surfaces that might be prone to rusting due to prolonged exposure to environmental parameters. While most of this coating help prevent corrosion significantly, these coatings also wear out over time exposing the metal beneath it.    

The New polymer coating that can protect your homes  

New polymer coating technology promises to change the landscape of corrosion protection. The solution, developed by scientists based in Singapore, is a metal coating based on polymers and the early test has proved great durability. The coating fixes self when scratched and thus protects the layer of metal below the surface at all times. Starting from automotive to small parts around your house, every piece of metal, when exposed to this coating, becomes corrosion proof. The self-healing nature of the compound ensures that the underlying substrate also remains unaffected by any damage to the surface.

The scientists started by encapsulating catalysts into small spheres of about 100 microns diameter. The healing agent also gets encapsulated similarly. These microcapsules then disperse into the coating material and are available to coat to any surface of your choice, such as at home. This type of encapsulation system enables the polymer to be added to any liquid coating available in the market. Each time the coating faces scratches or damages, it sets off a capsule that breaks down to spills itself covering the exposed region. The encapsulated agent and catalyst react to rectify any damages immediately, thus healing the surface instantly.

The performance of this polymer coating has gone through various levels of the test to understand its durability under various conditions. The tests performed were on steel samples, that when coated with the polymer coating showed great results compared to normal coating without these healing reagents. Damages such as scratching with razor blade through a 100-micro thick coating and salt solution immersion were useful for evaluating its performance. While the control samples fully corroded by the end of 24 hours along with extensive rust formation, there were no traces of any such corrosion in the samples that had the polymer coating in spite of the scratches.

The speed and healing efficiency of the catalyst and agent entirely depends on the environment. It could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, but the effects are visible. The microcapsule mechanism proves effective for a focussed delivery mechanism for antimicrobial agents, functional chemicals, as well as corrosion inhibitors. A uniform layer of the polymer coating delivered through advanced mechanisms can help active formation and protection of the metal surface.

How can polymer coating help your homes?  

The polymer coating is an effective remedy for most common types of corrosion. The coat is self-healing and hence is most suitable for pitted corrosion. It does not allow prolonged exposure of the metal which faces damages over a long period, thus losing integrity. Instead, the self-healing process covers up the exposed surface immediately, preventing further damage. In case of contact or crevice corrosion, the coating can prevent the formation of rust due to contact for prolonged periods.

 Conclusion  

The polymer coating can change the way we look at corrosion protection for a home. With self-repair capabilities, it can cut down high costs for repair and maintenance of metal surfaces at home and support the strength of the foundation.