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Corrosion-resistant nano-coating for metals

The aluminum fin at left had no protective coating and completely dissolved after repeated exposure to briny conditions. The middle fin had a coating with a low level of cerium oxide nanoparticles, while the far right fin had a higher concentration of nanoparticles.

The aluminum fin at left had no
protective coating and completely
dissolved after repeated exposure to
briny conditions. The middle fin had a
coating with a low level of cerium
oxide nanoparticles, while the far right
fin had a higher concentration of
nanoparticles.

A chemist at DOE's Brookhaven Lab has developed a method for coating metal surfaces with an ultrathin nanoparticle film that renders the metal resistant to corrosion and eliminates the use of toxic chromium. The method yields a coating less than 10 nanometers thick with corrosion resistance comparable or superior to chromium-based coatings with better surface coverage — particularly advantageous when the metal to be coated possesses fine structural detail. The newly patented method, which is available for licensing, should be of specific interest to industries that produce coated valves, pumps, and other components exposed to wet or briny conditions.

[Karen McNulty Walsh, 631.344.8350,
kmcnulty@bnl.gov]