Nanotechnologies in Coatings

Nanotechnologies has found its way into coatings. More and more manufacturers are seeing the benefits of nanosized particles to be used in their formulas. Raw materials that aim to produce stronger, more economical, more durable, more functional, more versatile products are the driving force behind these new technologies, specifically conductive coatings.

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)

Enter single-wall carbon nanotubes, it’s like graphene reinvented. These non-nature occurring substances are being used in so many novel ways. With bigger and better manufacturing capabilities, we can only expect carbon nanotubes to find its way into more products as SWCNT’s become more accessible and cheaper in the coming years. Incorporating SWCNTs in coating formulas improves its physical, electrical and thermal properties. With its high aspect ratio, a well-formulated, well-produced product can greatly enhance the strength, thermal and electrical properties to dried paint films. Feats that were deemed too difficult or even impossible prior to the use of SWCNT’s are now a good formulation away.

Application: Conductive paint

One major application that has found significant success of SWCNTs in coatings is its use in formulating between electrostatic to conductive paints. It is important that static charge is dissipated as they are generated. Accumulated static charge on surfaces renders work areas (shop floors and electrical rooms) unsafe. An efficient way to dissipate these electrostatic charges is by proper grounding.

Five times more conductive than Copper but a hundred times stronger than steel, the high aspect ratio of SWCNTs can form a very efficient fibrous 3D network inside a paint film. Properly dispersed, there will be no “hot spots” on the dried paint film, a fairly uniform resistance value can be read throughout the whole installation. A properly installed floor coating with enough SWCNT’s will be conductive enough to release the electrostatic charge straight into the ground with no humidity requirement as dictated by more popular technologies. The low concentration of SWCNTs into a conductive coating also allows flexibility with colors, bright greens and reds are possible, formulators will not be stuck with a black finish in their conductive floor coating.

OCSiAl

OCSiAl offers a wide arrange of pre-dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes ready to be incorporated in a wide array of floor coatings applications. A few of them are:

Tuball Matrix 203 for epoxy and polyurethane systems.

Tuball Matrix 204 solvent-free epoxy systems.

Posted by Jasmine Ng

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