What Does
Self-curing Coating Mean?
A self-curing coating has the ability to repair damage by itself or with some outside stimulation. Self-curing or self-healing coatings are considered to be smart material coatings that have the ability to sense cracks or damage caused by mechanical usage over the time. Repair is initiated when microcapsules of resins contained in the coating rupture and react.
Such coatings are used for automotive refinish coatings (with OEM clear-coat) and for plastic clear-coat formulations.
Self-curing coatings are also known as self-healing coatings.
Corrosionpedia Explains Self-curing Coating
Self-curing coatings can heal surface scratches and mesoscopic damage (e.g., micro-cracks and cavitation).
Self-curing is a two-step process consisting of gap closure followed by healing or curing. The self-curing ability provides a high degree of scratch repair and gloss recovery, even in repeatedly damaged areas. The ability of self-curing coatings to automatically repair damage caused by external factors is a major factor contributing to their usefulness.
These coatings intelligently respond to mechanical or chemical damage caused by the external environment and reproduce their original properties, including their adhesion to the substrate and integrity. This self-curing ability is a particularly vital property for coatings designed to protect against corrosion. Self-curing epoxies can be incorporated into metals to prevent corrosion.
Self-curing coatings may use:
- Polymer layers
- Silica-organic layers
- Conversion layers
- Metallic layers
- Ceramic layers
Self-curing anti-corrosion coatings are produced using:
- Macromolecular compounds
- Ceramics
- Metals
- Composites
The properties of these coatings are activated by appropriate stimuli such as:
- Temperature changes
- Radiation
- pH changes
- Pressure changes
- Mechanical action