Coatings have the power to transform materials, machines, and environments. They can supercharge high-performance machines, protect spacecraft from harsh conditions, and prevent biofilms from growing in low gravity environments. Researchers are developing stronger coatings for jet engines, improving coatings for the shipping industry, and creating slippery coatings for water supplies and machinery.
Coatings have the power to radically transform the functionality and capabilities of an underlying material. They can supercharge high-performance machines, ensure that expensive equipment survives harsh environments, and even prevent astronauts from getting sick by preventing biofilms from growing in low gravity environments.
Applications of Coatings
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Jet Engines: High-performance coatings are essential for jet engines to run efficiently. Researchers are developing yet stronger coatings that can allow the engines to run hotter still, which could lead to a massive saving on fuel and CO2.
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Spacecraft: Coatings can protect spacecraft from harsh environments and prevent biofilms from growing in low gravity environments, ensuring the health of astronauts.
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Shipping Industry: The shipping industry is interested in coatings that keep hulls cleaner. However, issues such as peeling passive fire protection systems and biofouling on commercial ships are common. Researchers see opportunities to improve coatings and develop new ones that could drastically improve performance in the future.
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Water Supplies and Machinery: Super-slippery coatings have been developed to make surfaces slippery and resistant to biofilm formation, which could be a problem for water supplies or machinery on space stations or future spacecraft.
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Industrial Processes: Coatings can prevent molten aluminium from sticking to surfaces, reducing costs and improving product quality.
Examples of Coating Applications
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Jet Engines: High-performance coatings are essential for jet engines to run efficiently. Researchers are developing yet stronger coatings that allow engines to run hotter still, which could lead to significant fuel and CO2 savings.
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Spacecraft and Astronauts: Coatings can prevent biofilms from growing in low gravity environments, keeping astronauts healthy. Super-slippery coatings have been developed to make surfaces slippery and resistant to biofilm formation, which is crucial for water supplies or machinery on space stations or future spacecraft.
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Industrial Applications: Coatings can prevent molten aluminum from sticking to surfaces, reducing costs and improving product quality.
Challenges and Opportunities
While coatings have the potential to revolutionize various industries, they don’t always work as intended. Issues like peeling passive fire protection systems and biofouling on commercial ships can occur, requiring significant cost and effort to fix. Researchers see opportunities to improve coatings and develop new ones that could drastically improve performance in the future.
Research and Development
Prof. Kripa Varanasi has developed coatings that make surfaces slippery and resistant to biofilm formation. Tests on the International Space Station have shown success with one coating, highlighting the potential for further research and innovation in this field.
