Posts

, ,

NEI Expands Self-Healing Line of Coatings and Broadens Patent Portfolio

November 3, 2015

Somerset, New Jersey (USA) – NEI Corporation announced today that it has expanded its NANOMYTE® MEND line of top coats where a physical self-healing phenomenon leads to gap closing and crack sealing. The innovative technology platform is applicable to a broad range of substrates such as metal, wood, and polymers – including those that require maintaining a clear glossy appearance. NANOMYTE® MEND coatings can be healed multiple times at the same defect location, thereby reducing life cycle costs by increasing the service life and reducing maintenance costs of the various substrates to which it is applied.

Healing_MEND2

In response to the need for self-healing required in different environments, four MEND products have been introduced. MEND 1000 is based on US Patent 8,987,352, where a thermally induced physical self-healing phenomenon leads to gap closing and crack sealing. The self-healing coating involves a unique phase-separated morphology that facilitates the delivery of the self-healing agent to the damage site (such as a scratch or crack) thereby restoring the coating appearance & function. The coating can be self-healed by the application of warm air for several seconds with a simple device, such as a household hair dryer. Additionally, the properties of the coating – such as hardness, gloss, and refractive index – can be altered as needed for the specific application. The more recently developed, patent-pending MEND 2000 allows self-healing at near ambient temperature. MEND 3000 is a solvent-borne self-healing coating that can be cured at room temperature. MEND 4000, on the other hand, is a waterborne polyurethane-based, self-healing coating (US Patent 8,664,298). The current series of MEND coatings are based on polyurethane, but the principle is applicable to other coating systems as well – including acrylics and epoxies, as well as UV-curable systems.

MEND_Selection_Guide

Self-healing principles can also be applied to surface treatments of metals. To this end, NEI has developed a series of pretreatments for different metals, where a chemical self-healing mechanism imparts corrosion resistance. The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a notice of allowance for NEI’s patent on another self-healing coating technology. The allowed claims describe a chemical conversion coating for protecting magnesium alloys from corrosion (NANOMYTE® PT-60). PT-60 mimics the performance of chromate conversion coatings. The nanoscale structure of the magnesium surface allows ions to diffuse on demand to the damage site, forming a barrier that prevents further corrosion. Additionally, PT-60 has been engineered to act as a tie layer that bonds the overlying primer with the metal. Excellent field performance has been observed in select applications.

The NANOMYTE® MENDTM family of coatings complement NEI’s portfolio of Advanced Protective Coatings and Surface Treatments which provide tailored functionalities, such as hydrophobicity, superhydrophobicity, oleophobicity, superoleophobicity, self-healing, fog resistance, self-cleaning (or easy-to-clean), scratch resistance, anti-corrosion, and anti-icing. In addition to imparting protective and aesthetic properties, NANOMYTE® coatings lead to gains in productivity and efficiency and therefore can be used in many applications that traditionally have not used paints or coatings. The coatings are versatile and can be applied on a variety of different substrates – including glass, plastic, fiber-composite, metal, and ceramic.

Download Press Release (pdf) »

 


About NEI Corporation:

NEI Corporation is an applications driven company that utilizes nanotechnology to develop and produce advanced materials. The company’s core competencies are in synthesizing nanoscale materials and prototyping products that incorporate the advanced materials. Founded in 1997, the company manufactures and sells advanced materials products, provides materials development services, and performs contract-based R&D for public and private entities. NEI has built a strong manufacturing and R&D infrastructure that enables rapid transition of concepts to products. The company’s products are backed by a suite of issued and pending patents and sold under the registered trademark NANOMYTE®.

For additional information on our MEND coatings, including product specs & a summary presentation, contact us.

,

NEI Development Update on NANOMYTE® TC-5001, a Protective Coating for Zinc-Plated and Galvanized Steel


November 5, 2014

Somerset, New Jersey (USA): NEI Corporation has issued a product update, following the successful introduction of NANOMYTE® TC‐5001 – a nanotechnology-enabled, anti-corrosion coating for zinc‐plated and hot‐dip galvanized (HDG) steel. TC-5001 is a nanostructured composite coating consisting of organic and inorganic phases. It can be used either as a standalone coating or with the water-based, self-healing pretreatment, NANOMYTE® PT-100. In its current form, TC-5001 can be applied on metallic parts that have a zinc-based finish. Recent developments on its effectiveness and usage are outlined below.

Field Trials

Over the past couple of years, TC-5001 and related products have found use in several applications in different industries. Examples include:

Automotive Components and Support Structures

Automotive parts coated in-house were subjected to salt-spray testing (ASTM B117) for over 1,000 hours to test the effects of corrosion; the TC-5001-coated parts showed no signs of white rust. Additionally, parts plated with alloys of zinc and aluminum were also coated with TC-5001 and are currently undergoing field testing.

Examples of structural parts that can be coated with TC-5001 (or related products) for corrosion protection are shown on the right.

Automotive_Components

Outdoor Structures

Strain Insulators

NANOMYTE® TC-5001-coated structures provide significant corrosion protection while supporting power lines in service. The coating has been successfully demonstrated to protect electrical grid components still in service for several months to date.

Hardware Components

Various TC-5001-coated nuts, bolts, and screws were exposed outside for 5 continuous months and showed no visible signs of corrosion.

To the right is a pair of galvanized steel screws after 5 months of outside exposure. The uncoated screw (left) shows the emergence of white rust on the threads while the coated screw (right) is still protected.

Bolt Diagram

.

Ease of Application and Curing

TC-5001 is amenable to dipping, brushing, and spraying. The ease of application of the coating is illustrated in the following video: Applying TC-5001

Methods of Application

  • Spraying: The coating is applied on clean surfaces using a commercial high volume, low pressure (HVLP) spray gun. Touchup spraying can be carried out to protect small pieces or tight locations using a touch up sprayer.
  • Rolling: Coating is done in a cross-pattern; left to right, then up and down as quickly as possible since the coating dries quickly.
  • Brushing: Brush application is carried out in a cross-pattern; up and down, then left to right.

.

Faster Curing

A new development that was requested by metal finishers was to accelerate the curing of TC-5001. For applications requiring faster cure times, the coating can be brought to “dry to the touch” conditions in a matter of 5 to 10 seconds with thermal curing at 150°C to 200°C. This facilitates easy incorporation of the coating in a production line with continuous moving parts on a conveyer. Once the coating is dry to touch (partially cured), subsequent coatings can be applied and cured together.

.

Related Products

NANOMYTE® PT-100 – Self-healing Pretreatment

This waterborne pretreatment improves adhesion and minimizes white & red rust formation when used in conjunction with TC-5001.

NANOMYTE® SR-500EC – Introduction of Hydrophobicity

In order to further enhance the degree of protection provided to metal parts, NANOMYTE® SR-500EC has been introduced. It is a transparent coating designed to provide easy-to-clean surfaces. The product is a nanostructured composite consisting of organic and inorganic phases and provides a hard, dense, and smooth coating finish. SR-500EC strongly adheres to metal, glass, and ceramic surfaces, and resists scratching and chipping. Additionally, it has superior water repellency and soil resistance. The hydrophobicity of the coating can be tailored as per application requirements. The coating is a single component product that is easily applied by dip, spray or brush and can be cured at room temperature. Currently, SR-500EC is undergoing field trials on metal, glass, and polymer surfaces where both anti-corrosion and hydrophobic properties are desired.


About NEI Corporation:

NEI Corporation is an application-driven company that utilizes nanotechnology to develop and produce advanced materials. The company’s core competencies are in synthesizing nanoscale materials and prototyping products that incorporate the advanced materials. NEI offers an array of Advanced Protective Coatings for metal and polymer surfaces. The coatings have tailored functionalities such as anti-corrosion, self-healing, scratch resistance, ice-phobic, and self-cleaning.


For more information, contact:

Ms. Krista Martin
NEI Corporation
(732) 868‐3141
sales@neicorporation.com
###