TEHRAN, Iran - Researchers from the Institute for Color Science and Technology (ICST) in Iran are working to improve the quality of anti-corrosive coatings by using modified nanoparticles.

Results of the research will reduce the loss caused by corrosion in various industries, including power plant installations, oil reservoirs, marine installations, and oil and gas pipelines.

The researchers proposed the application of impure zinc oxide nanoparticles doped with cobalt and manganese to overcome the corrosion problem in coatings and to improve their quality.

Dr. Bahram Ramezanzadeh, a member of the Scientific Board of ICST, commented on the research, "In this research, we tried to create corrosion prevention behavior in addition to blocking properties by doping zinc oxide nanoparticles with cobalt and manganese. In addition, their surface was modified with silane agent to obtain appropriate distribution of nanoparticles in the matrix of the epoxy coating."

Zinc oxide nanoparticles doped with cobalt and manganese are able to improve anti-corrosive properties of the epoxy coating through the two mechanisms of improving blocking and corrosion prohibition properties.

The nanocomposite coating is passing laboratory tests and can be used as an anti-corrosive agent on industrial metallic structures to protect them against corrosion and other damaging environmental threats.

Advantages of the application of the proposed nanocomposite include increasing the lifetime of metallic structures used in corrosive media, reducing material consumption and increasing the efficiency of the devices.

Results of the research have been published in Corrosion Science, volume 88, issue 1, 2014, pp. 387-399.