Nanocoatings are considered to be the most promising materials for high-performance construction applications. Nanocoatings are increasingly used on building surfaces, and they open up new horizons for sustainable and environmentally friendly buildings. People are increasingly interested in the application of nanomaterials in the construction industry, mainly because of their positive properties, including thermal performance, moisture behavior, energy efficiency, air quality improvement, self-cleaning and antibacterial effects.
The key mechanism concept of nano-coatings is their self-repair ability through the self-assembly process. Self-assembly is a phenomenon in which the components of the system assemble spontaneously through interaction to form a larger functional unit. The spatial arrangement of self-assembled nanoparticles is a key concept for nano-coating applications. Alfa Chemistry is a research expert in the application field of nanomaterials, constantly developing the application potential of nanomaterials in the field of nanocoating. We provide suitable product solutions for your experimental procedures to meet all your experimental needs. Read on to learn about the application research of nanomaterials in the field of nanocoating.
Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Coating
Researchers have developed a hydrophilic thin-film titanium oxide (TiO2) coating for self-cleaning glass systems. The photocatalysis stage uses ultraviolet rays to decompose organic dirt on the glass, making the glass super-hydrophilic. In the next super-hydrophilic stage, rainwater will wash away the dirt, leaving almost no streaks. The film also has good photo-induced antibacterial and anti-reflection properties. Doping a small amount of silver in the TiO2 porous film can enhance its antibacterial effect without ultraviolet light irradiation.
Figure.1 A Self-cleaning Glass System Based on Titanium Oxide (TiO2) Thin Film Coating. (Boostani H, et al. 2016)
The hydrophobic coating is mainly used to make the surface waterproof and corrosion-resistant. Researchers have developed a hydrophobic system based on silicon oxide (SiO2) coating. The contact angle of water droplets exceeds 150°, and the roll-off angle is less than 10°.
Flame Retardant Coating
Scientists at Alfa Chemistry prepared flame-retardant nano-coatings by adding nano-sized magnesium-aluminum layer hydrogen oxide (LDHs), titanium oxide (titanium dioxide) and silicon oxide (silicon dioxide). In addition, we use Nano Composite Emulsion (NCE) to prepare emulsion-type coatings containing nano-sized silica and polyacrylate particles, which have excellent anti-pollution properties and flame resistance.
Wear-Resistant and Corrosion-Resistant Coating
Barna emphasized the addition of silica (SiO2), titanium oxide (TiO2), alumina (Al2O3) and zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles to increase the hardness and mechanical properties of the coating, thereby improving its resistance to wear and scratches. In addition, due to the small size of the nanoparticles, they will not affect the transparency or gloss of the coating. Nanocoatings can be used to maintain the surface appearance and durability of parquet or window glass.
Figure.2 Corrosion resistance of graphene oxide/silver coatings on Ni-Ti alloy and expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in human oral fibroblasts. (Srimaneepong V, et al. 2020)
The researchers used the effect of the chromate conversion coating for the corrosion protection of aluminum alloys and incorporated nano Al2O3 particles into the composite coating to improve corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance.
Anti-Graffiti Coating
Studies have shown that nanostructured titanium oxide - based coatings are very promising on stone surfaces. The researchers used silica nanoparticles on the permanent anti-graffiti polyurethane coating, which has a positive effect on the anti-graffiti performance on the aging cycle.
References
- Boostani H, et al. (2016). “Review of Nanocoatings for Building Application.” Procedia Engineering. 145: 1541-1548.
- Srimaneepong V, et al. (2020). “Corrosion Resistance of Graphene Oxide/Silver Coatings on Ni–Ti alloy and Expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in Human Oral Fibroblasts.” Scientific Reports. 10: 3247.
