Grant: Engage Grants Program

The project will address why variations in heat and humidity result in different performance of some silane-based materials used for treating metal surfaces prior to painting. Perturbations in surface properties after coating may have dramatic effects on the performance of subsequent painting. Thus an understanding of the nature of these silane coatings and development of a methodology for achieving consistent and desired surface properties is necessary. As mechanical damage to coatings on metal surfaces is common, one goal of the project is to explore the possibility of imparting self-healing properties into these silane coating systems. To this end, several new cross-linkers will be investigated for promotion and enhancement of the field performance of the coatings.