Sparc Technologies has achieved a breakthrough in enhancing corrosion resistance by incorporating graphene into water-based acrylic epoxy coatings, addressing performance challenges while advancing eco-friendly solutions.
Testing revealed that the addition of low dosages of specific graphene grades significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of the coatings compared to unmodified controls.
Sparc Technologies Managing Director, Nick O’Loughlin, described the results as a potential game-changer for the coatings industry.
“Our results clearly demonstrate a significant performance improvement with graphene, which has the potential to unlock significant growth in this developing area of the coatings market,” O’Loughlin stated.
The initial tests utilised internally formulated water-based two-pack acrylic epoxy coatings, applied to cold-rolled steel.
Two electrochemical measurement techniques, the Rapid Electrochemical Assessment of Paint (REAP) and the Accelerated Cyclic Electrochemical Technique (ACET), validated the performance improvements.
According to Sparc, graphene-enhanced coatings outperformed unmodified coatings by reducing water ingress and disbondment rates.
REAP testing showed a time-to-failure improvement ranging from 5.5 to 11.6 times greater than the unmodified coating.
Similarly, ACET testing demonstrated that graphene-enhanced coatings exhibited superior resilience, with no corrosion or significant blistering after multiple test cycles.
“These results have been achieved by leveraging Sparc’s proprietary knowledge and expertise working with graphene-based additives in the significantly larger solvent-based anticorrosion market and allows us to broaden our customer engagement,” O’Loughlin added.
The findings were further corroborated by tests on a commercially available water-based coating, which also showed substantial performance improvements with graphene integration.
Sparc said it has incorporated these graphene grades into additives for water-based epoxy coatings, demonstrating initial stability and opening pathways for additive product development.
“There is an increasing push from the coatings industry towards more environmentally friendly water-based products, however their performance has not been adequate for wide scale industry adoption in corrosive applications,” O’Loughlin noted.
The global market for water-based epoxy coatings, valued at $1.6 billion in 2022, is projected to grow to $2.9 billion by 2029, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 8.9 per cent.
