Nano Coatings Paint Green Future
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:57 pm
By John Gartner
02:00 AM Feb, 10, 2006
New spray-on, nanotech coatings could keep iPod screens from scratching, make paper products waterproof and perform other minor modern miracles.
And because they are cheaper, easier to apply and more environmentally friendly than substances currently in use, nanotechnology-based coatings could replace many of today's industrial paints and coatings.
The nano coatings, "liquid solids" composed of extremely tiny particles, possess unique characteristics -- like extreme flexibility, easy adhesion and resistance to corrosion and microbial growth -- that could profoundly change the manufacturing process.
Sally Ramsey, co-founder and chief chemist of Ecology Coatings, began exploring the costs and potential environmental benefits of nano coatings in 2003. She used nano-sized particles of mineral oxides to create waterproof coatings for paper at half the cost of synthetic paper. Derivative materials could be used to produce waterproof cardboard boxes, or integrated into building materials such as drywall to prevent mold from growing if it becomes wet, Ramsey said.
The wonder coatings also might make small video screens on electronic devices such as iPods and mobile phones more durable.
"Abrasion-resistance and scratch-resistance is very much enhanced" when the nano coating is applied, according to Ramsey, and surface hardness is strengthened without losing clarity.
A similar nano coating, licensed from Ecology Coatings by chemical giant DuPont, could revolutionize the auto parts industry when it is commercialized, possibly as early as this year.
DuPont hopes to produce nano paint that seals and protects automotive components, greatly reducing the environmental impact of producing cars by slashing the amount of energy and materials needed. The nano-based coating could radically alter the time-consuming and costly process of applying coatings to auto parts.
The nano particles are small enough to be applied using conventional spraying equipment, Ramsey said, and the nanotech coating can be cured simply by exposing the surface of the auto parts to ultraviolet light for 10 seconds or less.
"After the UV (light) hits it, it becomes a thin sheet of plastic," she said. UV curing, which is completed at room temperature, would replace the standard curing process, which requires placing parts in ovens at temperatures of up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as 40 minutes.
Because they eliminate the need for hazardous chemicals currently in use, the nano coatings also could save parts manufacturers from getting Environmental Protection Agency permits, tracking emissions and disposing of solvents.
It all adds up to a more ecologically friendly process with a welcome side benefit: lower manufacturing costs.
According to Bob Matheson, technical manager for strategic technology production at DuPont, using Ecology Coatings' nano-based materials could reduce the cost of applying a coating from "a few dimes per article down to 1 cent per article or less."
Shifting to nano-based coatings could also change how auto parts are designed. For instance, engineers could use different materials because they wouldn't have to worry about heat from the manufacturing process melting plastic parts, Matheson said.
"We are in the early stages of a profound industry change," he said.
Matheson said the technology probably would be applied first to "under the hood" parts, such as oil filters or disc brake drums.
DuPont chose products from Ecology Coatings because the technology is cleaner and less energy intensive than other UV-curable coatings, Matheson said. He estimates the technology will reduce the amount of energy used in the coating-application process by 25 percent and reduce materials costs by 75 percent.
However, UV curing requires exposing the entire surface area of the part to the light, which is a limitation. And manufacturing plants would have to be redesigned for the process, replacing rooms engineered to withstand high temperatures with arrays of UV lights, Matheson said.
Paul Uglum, the appearance technology advocate for auto parts company Delphi, said his company is beginning to use some UV-curable paints.
He said heat curing disrupts the manufacturing process. "If you have parts that are in an oven for half an hour, than you have a huge buffer of parts waiting to be finished," he said.
Uglum said the energy saved from switching to UV-curable paints would be significant, since his division of Delphi produces 3.5 million parts per week. The amount of paint used could be reduced by "thousands of gallons," he said.
"Being less energy intensive and more environmentally friendly is a plus," said Charles Griffith, the auto project director at nonprofit environmental group the Ecology Center. Auto parts manufacturers may be attracted to the technology because "if you use non-hazardous materials to start with, then you don't have the same regulatory triggers," he said.
However, because the "state of knowledge about some nano particles is quite immature," Griffith said, "we would need to know about health studies for the potential impacts of these particles."
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0, ... =rss.index
02:00 AM Feb, 10, 2006
New spray-on, nanotech coatings could keep iPod screens from scratching, make paper products waterproof and perform other minor modern miracles.
And because they are cheaper, easier to apply and more environmentally friendly than substances currently in use, nanotechnology-based coatings could replace many of today's industrial paints and coatings.
The nano coatings, "liquid solids" composed of extremely tiny particles, possess unique characteristics -- like extreme flexibility, easy adhesion and resistance to corrosion and microbial growth -- that could profoundly change the manufacturing process.
Sally Ramsey, co-founder and chief chemist of Ecology Coatings, began exploring the costs and potential environmental benefits of nano coatings in 2003. She used nano-sized particles of mineral oxides to create waterproof coatings for paper at half the cost of synthetic paper. Derivative materials could be used to produce waterproof cardboard boxes, or integrated into building materials such as drywall to prevent mold from growing if it becomes wet, Ramsey said.
The wonder coatings also might make small video screens on electronic devices such as iPods and mobile phones more durable.
"Abrasion-resistance and scratch-resistance is very much enhanced" when the nano coating is applied, according to Ramsey, and surface hardness is strengthened without losing clarity.
A similar nano coating, licensed from Ecology Coatings by chemical giant DuPont, could revolutionize the auto parts industry when it is commercialized, possibly as early as this year.
DuPont hopes to produce nano paint that seals and protects automotive components, greatly reducing the environmental impact of producing cars by slashing the amount of energy and materials needed. The nano-based coating could radically alter the time-consuming and costly process of applying coatings to auto parts.
The nano particles are small enough to be applied using conventional spraying equipment, Ramsey said, and the nanotech coating can be cured simply by exposing the surface of the auto parts to ultraviolet light for 10 seconds or less.
"After the UV (light) hits it, it becomes a thin sheet of plastic," she said. UV curing, which is completed at room temperature, would replace the standard curing process, which requires placing parts in ovens at temperatures of up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as 40 minutes.
Because they eliminate the need for hazardous chemicals currently in use, the nano coatings also could save parts manufacturers from getting Environmental Protection Agency permits, tracking emissions and disposing of solvents.
It all adds up to a more ecologically friendly process with a welcome side benefit: lower manufacturing costs.
According to Bob Matheson, technical manager for strategic technology production at DuPont, using Ecology Coatings' nano-based materials could reduce the cost of applying a coating from "a few dimes per article down to 1 cent per article or less."
Shifting to nano-based coatings could also change how auto parts are designed. For instance, engineers could use different materials because they wouldn't have to worry about heat from the manufacturing process melting plastic parts, Matheson said.
"We are in the early stages of a profound industry change," he said.
Matheson said the technology probably would be applied first to "under the hood" parts, such as oil filters or disc brake drums.
DuPont chose products from Ecology Coatings because the technology is cleaner and less energy intensive than other UV-curable coatings, Matheson said. He estimates the technology will reduce the amount of energy used in the coating-application process by 25 percent and reduce materials costs by 75 percent.
However, UV curing requires exposing the entire surface area of the part to the light, which is a limitation. And manufacturing plants would have to be redesigned for the process, replacing rooms engineered to withstand high temperatures with arrays of UV lights, Matheson said.
Paul Uglum, the appearance technology advocate for auto parts company Delphi, said his company is beginning to use some UV-curable paints.
He said heat curing disrupts the manufacturing process. "If you have parts that are in an oven for half an hour, than you have a huge buffer of parts waiting to be finished," he said.
Uglum said the energy saved from switching to UV-curable paints would be significant, since his division of Delphi produces 3.5 million parts per week. The amount of paint used could be reduced by "thousands of gallons," he said.
"Being less energy intensive and more environmentally friendly is a plus," said Charles Griffith, the auto project director at nonprofit environmental group the Ecology Center. Auto parts manufacturers may be attracted to the technology because "if you use non-hazardous materials to start with, then you don't have the same regulatory triggers," he said.
However, because the "state of knowledge about some nano particles is quite immature," Griffith said, "we would need to know about health studies for the potential impacts of these particles."
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0, ... =rss.index