Increasing Aluminum Production and Significant Growth in Aerospace, Automotive, Chemical, Textile, and Rubber Industries to Boost Demand For Sol-Gel Coatings
Sol-gel coatings are the new trend in protective coatings. Its name is derived from the organic component of gelatin, a very flexible but hard and soft polymer. These coatings have several advantages over other types of coating materials. They are easier to use, apply, and remove. These coatings are also more durable than many competing products.
There are three broad classes in which sol-gel coatings can be categorized, including; exterior finish coatings, interior finish coatings, and barrier-free barrier coatings. Exterior finish coatings include sealants applied to metals and molded parts to protect from weathering. Interior finish coatings protect certain parts of an appliance from weathering, and barrier-free barrier coatings are designed to prevent moisture absorption into certain parts of a structure. Sol-gels are the newest addition to this classification. The material comes in several forms including flakes, granules, and liquid.
The most commonly used form of sol-gel coatings in the industry is as a hardening agent for metal and other alloys. This property allows the sol-gels to produce hardness, tensile strength, and wear resistance similar to that of high alloy steels. Sol-gels have the ability to produce high hardness without increasing the material's heat treatability or susceptibility to mechanical stresses. Another application of this type of coating is on thin films of aluminum and stainless steel to increase their heat treatability and reduce corrosion. These thin films are typically coated with anodized aluminum oxide. One of the most widespread applications of sol-gel coating techniques is for barrier coating on metals. Barrier coatings are usually applied in various thicknesses to increase barrier strength. It also improves the wear resistance of sheet metal and stainless steel by inhibiting corrosion.
Sol-gel process was originally developed to increase the strength and thickness of spun sheets of aluminum and stainless steel. Increasing aluminum production is expected to boost demand for these coatings in the U.S. For instance, according to USGS, in the U.S., primary aluminum production in January 2020 was 92,000 metric tons. The average daily production in January 2020 was 2,980 tons, 40% more than that in January 2018.
Sol-gel has been adapted for use in many fields such as aerospace, automotive, chemical, textile and rubber industries. The sol-gel coating was later found to have excellent mechanical properties. This superior mechanical property makes the sol-gel process an ideal choice for the development of lubricants for bearings, seals, pipes, gears, hinges, and many other applications where heat treating is needed.
A recent breakthrough in the field of ceramics involves the use of sol-gel ceramic coatings. Ceramic coating experts have discovered that when two substances are combined, they respond to each other's energy. This reaction produces a highly attractive emulsion, which when exposed to heat generates high strength-to-weight ratio. This emulsion has been successfully used to coat stainless steel, titanium, copper, brass, and other alloys. Ceramic coating experts have also found that the sol-gel coating is extremely useful in the electronics industry because it increases the conductivity of the metallic surface to a great extent.
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