Selection of Industrial Coatings Based on Environmental and Societal Impact Characteristics

Michigan Technological University, Houghton MI

Investigators

Abstract

This grant provides for the development of a method for quickly comparing different industrial coating choices based on their environmental and societal impacts and their performance in a given application. The method will expedite the selection of industrial coatings during conceptual design by developing a set of expressions that relate coating key performance criteria (hardness, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, etc.) to environmental and societal impacts (human health effects, resource depletion, energy utilization, etc.). The research will seek to produce a taxonomy of auditable environmental characteristics relevant in the selection of industrial coatings; an underlying method for trading off environmental concerns over the entire life-cycle of an industrial coating from its production, through its use, removal, and reapplication; and the relationships used in industrial coatings selection to balance environmental impact and cost as a measure of functionality. If successful, this research will yield a fundamental bridge between design, the environment, and auditing; allowing all three to operate with a single schedule of environmental and societal impact. Specifically, the project will provide a rapid, quantitative methodology for identifying the most environmentally benign candidate for a given coating application, which minimizes energy and resource utilization, without conducting exhaustive analyses of the systems. After application by design engineers, the result could be reduced environmental impact from everyday products.