Corrosion-resistant coatings made by sol-gel pyrolysis

Citation

(1998), "Corrosion-resistant coatings made by sol-gel pyrolysis", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 45 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.1998.12845dab.003

Corrosion-resistant coatings made by sol-gel pyrolysis

Corrosion-resistant coatings made by sol-gel pyrolysis

Keywords Brookhaven, Ceramics, Coatings, Sol-gel

Two coatings are under development at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, which could reportedly save the US aircraft and aluminium smelting industries billions of dollars annually. Both coatings are produced by means of a sol-gel pyrolysis process, which is said to be less expensive and more environmentally friendly than alternative processes. The sol, consisting of solid polymer particles in water, can be easily sprayed onto a metal surface and then converted to a durable ceramic coating by baking at a temperature of about 200°C (400°F). The first is an oxide coating for titanium alloys in aircraft gas turbine engines. Aimed at reducing manufacturing costs and improving engine performance, the R&D is being funded only by Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford, Connecticut.

The second is a composite coating to protect a nickel-chromium alloy in a recuperator for a smelter that recycles scrap aluminum. Brookhaven is working with Energy Research Co., Staten Island, to develop this coating, which is designed to protect the recuperator from oxidation and corrosion, and to extend its life span considerably beyond the current six months.

Further details are available from Toshifumi Sugama, Department of Applied Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Building 526, PO Box 5000, Upton, New York, 11973-5000 USA. Tel: +1 516 344 4029).