Spring 2011 - The University of Akron

( feATure sTory )
Public-private Corrosion Control
Collaboration Receives $2 Million
The University of Akron and MesoCoat Inc. of Euclid
will merge expertise in corrosion control with $2
million in Third Frontier funding. The collaborative
effort will focus on developing and commercializing
advanced inorganic metal coatings, ultimately
fast-tracking MesoCoat’s growth and job creation
potential while reducing corrosion’s $300 billion cost to the U.S.
infrastructure economy.
The collaboration centers on development, qualification and
technical risk reduction for an advanced inorganic cladding called
CermaCladTM. The high-energy density, large-area coating and
cladding technology is being jointly developed and tested by UA
and MesoCoat. MesoCoat also is commercializing the technology.
Energy and cost savings projected
“This inorganic nanocomposite coating provides reductions
in emissions and cost for conventional and alternate energy
production infrastructure. It also makes possible energy savings
and cost reductions through the life extension of the steel used
in transportation and energy generation,” said Andrew Sherman,
CEO and founder of MesoCoat.
Targeted for tubular steel, steel plate, valves and flanges
used for infrastructure, including oil and gas pipelines, the
metal cladding and hybrid powder coating will be developed
by MesoCoat and tested for life extension and cost reduction
projections by Mark Soucek, UA professor of polymer
engineering, and his student research team.
The joint-use laboratory — located at UA — also will
develop the powder coating based on previously published and
unpublished work, and also scale-up the powder coating with
equipment funded by the Wright project. “The University of Akron
will provide third-party testing and validation to the process and
end performance of the coated steel for MesoCoat,” said Soucek.
Students studying corrosion and reliability engineering at UA will
serve as project interns trained and poised for future engineering
positions, which are expected with MesoCoat’s anticipated
growth.
The powder coating developed at UA also may transfer as a
startup company.
Kent miller, a polymer engineering Ph.D. student at UA,
applies powder coating to a steel plate, which will be tested
for corrosion resistance after exposure to light, moisture
and temperature extremes.
About MesoCoat Inc.
MesoCoat is a venture-backed nanotechnology materials science
company. The company’s surface engineering technologies have
already been the recipient of three prestigious R&D 100 awards,
a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) award
for “100-year life coatings for infrastructure,” and the NorTech
Innovation Award for environmentally friendly coatings.
Through partnerships with the Departments of Defense and
Energy, and leading oil and gas companies, MesoCoat has
developed high strength, high toughness ceramic-metallic materials
and high speed fusion cladding processes providing unparalleled
wear and corrosion resistance; and has verified performance,
productivity and cost benefits with industry leaders in oil and gas,
aerospace, energy generation, and maritime industries.
MesoCoat is now commercializing several of its products
and services that are a direct replacement for hard chrome
plating, as well as weld cladding processes to address the needs
of both original equipment manufacturers and maintenance
and repair organizations.
A M AgA z in e for A lu M ni & f rie n ds of T h e u ni v e r siT y of A k ron w w w. ua k ron. edu
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