A recent perspective on nano and smart coatings
With the value of nanocoatings hitting US$1bn by 2011, smarter coatings’ solutions could help companies to sharpen their competitive edge during the economic downturn. Rigoberto C. Advincula, PhD reports
Despite the recent economic downturn, companies with long-term strategies in nanotechnology are in the middle of research and development activities to release new proprietary products for specific applications. With recovery, only the first to market will gain the competitive advantage to embrace the potential of nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology involves the study and utilisation of material properties with particle sizes below 100nm. Research into nanotechnology will have a significant impact on the paint and coatings market primarily through two directions: improvement of existing surface coatings and innovative new products that deliver the right combination of aesthetics and performance.
The most common approach is the incorporation of nanomaterials or ultrafine particulate additives on to existing formulations. This not only includes pigment, mineral, metal oxide, and carbon black particulates, but also carbon nanotubes, clay nanoplatelets, hollow-shell or core-shell nanocapsules and nanoparticles with plasmonic (gold) or quantum size effect (semiconductor) properties.
Hybrid nanocomposites
Hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposites have attracted widespread attention through the combination of organic polymer and inorganic composite colloids resulting in unusual morphology, composition and properties originating from nanobuilding blocks. While mixing or compounding sounds relatively simple, the full benefit of using nanofiller materials are only realised in very high degrees of compatibilisation and very low loading ratios.
The nanocoatings market worldwide is estimated to be worth US$1bn by 2011. Coating systems based on filler nanomaterials will make up the bulk of this market. For large-scale industrial development, the ability to control surface coatings at the nanoscale is also of paramount importance to demonstrating effective nanotechnology. There are a number of physical and chemical methods available for the nanofabrication of layers and coatings with nanometer control of the structural and functional features.
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