Self-healing nanocoatings

Abstract

The current demand of the automotive industry for durable high-performance paints with self-healing ability and environmental compatibility has prompted the research for the next-generation coatings. To accomplish extended durability, the development of smart coatings has been pursued, aiming to provide active protection after a corrosive or mechanical failure. Different approaches are used for developing smart/self-healing coatings, such as the addition of micro/nanocapsules containing organic or inorganic healing agents, vascular or shape memory polymers, polymers with reversible covalent bonds, and self-healing agents based on organic and inorganic compounds. The latter strategy, in particular, presents an excellent cost-benefit and low complexity, making this approach very promising for applications in the automotive industry. In this chapter, we give an overview of the state of the art of high-performance coatings, with particular emphasis on the smart inhibition mechanisms in different coating systems, providing the reader with an update on emerging self-healing technologies.