Vladislav Vorotnikov, Russia Correspondent08.02.21
In cooperation with local scientists, Russian companies rolled out a set of plans of launching a number of new innovative coatings, including one having anti-coronavirus properties. Some of them could become a real blockbuster on the global market, while others are expected to help customers become more effective and profitable.
First coatings against COVID-19
Russian Tomsk State University inked a contract with Yaroslavl Paints to develop a new class of coatings with antiseptic properties, Tomsk University said in a statement June 7. The scientists plan to design three lines of coatings: antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral. The latter will be called to kill COVID-19, among other things.
“The recent outbreaks of SARS virus, bird flu, H1N1 flu, and COVID-19 have shown that it is not enough to treat surfaces with disinfectants. It is necessary that the surfaces themselves would fight against the infection. We are talking here about creating biocidal nanoparticles that can be introduced into coatings used for surface treatment,” Tomsk University added.
The new coatings are planned to be used in public facilities, including hospitals, schools, and kindergartners in Russia. As explained by the scientists, these innovative coatings would kill COVID-19 in a similar way that sanitizers do, not causing any harm to humans or the environment.
“Nowadays, silver-containing paints are sometimes used for such purposes. Paints with our nanoparticles will not only be effective but also safer and cheaper. Moreover, thanks to such coatings, the disinfection process will become permanent,” said Alexander Vorozhtsov, Tomsk University vice-rector for research and innovation.
Currently, several coatings with silver nanoparticles are available on the Russian market. They are frequently being used in private clinics but rarely in public utilities. There is no valid information on whether they are effective against COVID-19.
The project has won a grant of 100 million rubles ($1.5 million) from the federal government, Tomsk University added.
New coatings are expected to have strong export prospects. Earlier in 2021, Tomsk University and the Russian Academy of Science’s Far Eastern University have formed a joint venture called the R&D center for South-East Asia and Asia-Pacific. The project’s primary goal is to study Asian markets and promote the production of Russian origin among local customers.
The project is expected to be primarily focused on China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, Tomsk University said.
“If really developed, coatings with a proven ability to kill COVID-19 would become a best-seller not only in Russia but also on the global market,” commented a source in the Russian coatings industry who wished not to be named.
“All kinds of public facilities and private clients would want it, but the timing is crucial. This coating also has to have a clear safety profile backed by independent studies, as most customers would question whether something so deadly to microorganisms would be really safe for their health,” the source added.
Igor Romanov, deputy marketing director of Yaroslavl Paints, said that it was too early to disclose any further details on the project, including when Russia’s first anti-coronavirus coating was expected to land on the market.
Self-healing nanocoatings for nuclear plants and space rockets
The antiviral coating is not the only big project laid out by Siberian scientists recently. Tomsk University has also created nanocoatings for radiation protection unique because of their ability to self-healing.
These coatings will help protect electronics and increase the radiation resistance of materials in the nuclear and space industries. It is produced by magnetron sputtering, and for achieving the best results, it has to be of five layers about 100 mm thick each. The nanocoating is made of zirconium and niobium.
“Radiation defects in coatings are either presented as holes when atoms are knocked out of the crystal lattice or, on the contrary, when additional atoms are stuck in it. Both types of damage can accumulate with time, resulting in coating deterioration,” explained Roman Laptev, associate professor of the experimental physics department of Tomsk University’s School of Nuclear Technologies.
Preliminary tests showed that the moving structure of atoms in the nanocoatings gets rid of these defects, maintaining that layer equally thin.
“During a long-term irradiation of our coating with a proton beam, the concentration of defects either remains unchanged or decreases due to the drain of defects to the boundaries of the layers, where they cancel each other out,” Laptev added.
Besides, during experiments, atoms of zirconium manage to adapt to changes in electron density, protecting coatings from any damage.
“Transmission microscopy and X-ray structural analysis have shown that during irradiation, stresses arise in the structure due to the accumulation of protons. Both calculations and experiments revealed a displacement of zirconium atoms from the optimal position with the formation of regions of low electron density, near which implanted ions accumulate and positrons annihilate,” Laptev explained.
The new coatings could be in high demand, giving that Russia is exceptionally strong both in the nuclear and space industry field. For instance, the Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom is the country’s national leader in electricity generation, producing over 20% of the country’s total power, building several new nuclear plants in different parts of the country, and even the world’s only floating nuclear plants.
Rosatom also ranks first in the world in terms of the international order book, having 35 power units at different stages of implementation in 12 countries. The company’s 10-year order book of foreign orders is close to $130 billion.
The Russian space corporation Roscosmos is also among the world’s leaders in this area. Russia has enough carrier rockets to become the world’s leader in the number of space launches, State Space Corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has recently said.
However, Tomsk University has not provided any information on when the new coatings are planned to hit the market.
New coatings for the oil and gas industry
A new anticorrosive material called to facilitate more smooth transportation of hydrocarbons through pipelines was developed by a group of scientists from Yaroslavl State Technical University.
The new technology is called to reduce energy losses during oil and gas transportation by reducing the roughness of the pipe’s inner surface, the scientists explained. The researchers claimed that they had managed to select the optimal formulation of the new coatings and already developed a technology for its industrial production.
Pipelines today remain the main method for transporting oil and natural gas in Russia. Remarkably, pipeline transport accounts for up to half of the country’s total freight turnover. However, as explained by the scientists, when transporting hydrocarbons over long distances, there is a problem of overcoming the forces of friction of oil or gas against the pipeline’s walls.
To solve this problem, Yaroslavl has developed a composite coating for the inner surface of pipes, which reduces the friction of the transported material against the surface.
“Today, the surface roughness of the used coatings is in the range of 3-5 microns. Compared to the roughness of 50 microns for 400-diameter pipes, they increase the maximum gas flow rate by almost 18 percent, from 8.25 million cubic meters to 9.91 million cubic meters per day. We have got a coating with a roughness of 0.18-0.35 microns, which increases the rate of hydrocarbons transportation while maintaining anticorrosive properties at a high level,” explained Professor Alexander Ilyin, head of the Department of Chemical Technology of Organic Coatings at Yaroslavl University.
As explained by Ilyin, the developed coatings have a complex composition. Epoxy resins are used as a binder, securing necessary physicochemical properties for the product. For good spreading over the painted surface, reducing the content of organic solvents, and increasing the smoothness of the formed film, the scientists introduced an active diluent - linear alkyl glycidyl ether - into the coating composition.
To impart anticorrosive properties to the coating, the researchers introduced anticorrosive pigments with various functional additives. High-performance pigments of this type traditionally contain lead, zinc, and heavy metals and negatively impact the environment and human health. However, scientists set the task to use less hazardous substances.
“We have developed environmentally friendly ion-exchange pigments based on amorphous silicon dioxide and core pigments with a polyaniline shell. Our ion-exchange pigment is an analog of the imported environmentally friendly Shieldex pigment, but 2-2.5 times cheaper. This is a pigment from food waste – a rice husk pyrolysis products “, Ilyin explained.
Scientists have already run tests of various methods of applying the new coatings to the pipe’s inner surface by pneumatic and airless spraying and using an applicator. Currently, the scientists work with the Russian leading coating producer JSC Russian Paints to launch industrial production of the coating.
First coatings against COVID-19
Russian Tomsk State University inked a contract with Yaroslavl Paints to develop a new class of coatings with antiseptic properties, Tomsk University said in a statement June 7. The scientists plan to design three lines of coatings: antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral. The latter will be called to kill COVID-19, among other things.
“The recent outbreaks of SARS virus, bird flu, H1N1 flu, and COVID-19 have shown that it is not enough to treat surfaces with disinfectants. It is necessary that the surfaces themselves would fight against the infection. We are talking here about creating biocidal nanoparticles that can be introduced into coatings used for surface treatment,” Tomsk University added.
The new coatings are planned to be used in public facilities, including hospitals, schools, and kindergartners in Russia. As explained by the scientists, these innovative coatings would kill COVID-19 in a similar way that sanitizers do, not causing any harm to humans or the environment.
“Nowadays, silver-containing paints are sometimes used for such purposes. Paints with our nanoparticles will not only be effective but also safer and cheaper. Moreover, thanks to such coatings, the disinfection process will become permanent,” said Alexander Vorozhtsov, Tomsk University vice-rector for research and innovation.
Currently, several coatings with silver nanoparticles are available on the Russian market. They are frequently being used in private clinics but rarely in public utilities. There is no valid information on whether they are effective against COVID-19.
The project has won a grant of 100 million rubles ($1.5 million) from the federal government, Tomsk University added.
New coatings are expected to have strong export prospects. Earlier in 2021, Tomsk University and the Russian Academy of Science’s Far Eastern University have formed a joint venture called the R&D center for South-East Asia and Asia-Pacific. The project’s primary goal is to study Asian markets and promote the production of Russian origin among local customers.
The project is expected to be primarily focused on China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, Tomsk University said.
“If really developed, coatings with a proven ability to kill COVID-19 would become a best-seller not only in Russia but also on the global market,” commented a source in the Russian coatings industry who wished not to be named.
“All kinds of public facilities and private clients would want it, but the timing is crucial. This coating also has to have a clear safety profile backed by independent studies, as most customers would question whether something so deadly to microorganisms would be really safe for their health,” the source added.
Igor Romanov, deputy marketing director of Yaroslavl Paints, said that it was too early to disclose any further details on the project, including when Russia’s first anti-coronavirus coating was expected to land on the market.
Self-healing nanocoatings for nuclear plants and space rockets
The antiviral coating is not the only big project laid out by Siberian scientists recently. Tomsk University has also created nanocoatings for radiation protection unique because of their ability to self-healing.
These coatings will help protect electronics and increase the radiation resistance of materials in the nuclear and space industries. It is produced by magnetron sputtering, and for achieving the best results, it has to be of five layers about 100 mm thick each. The nanocoating is made of zirconium and niobium.
“Radiation defects in coatings are either presented as holes when atoms are knocked out of the crystal lattice or, on the contrary, when additional atoms are stuck in it. Both types of damage can accumulate with time, resulting in coating deterioration,” explained Roman Laptev, associate professor of the experimental physics department of Tomsk University’s School of Nuclear Technologies.
Preliminary tests showed that the moving structure of atoms in the nanocoatings gets rid of these defects, maintaining that layer equally thin.
“During a long-term irradiation of our coating with a proton beam, the concentration of defects either remains unchanged or decreases due to the drain of defects to the boundaries of the layers, where they cancel each other out,” Laptev added.
Besides, during experiments, atoms of zirconium manage to adapt to changes in electron density, protecting coatings from any damage.
“Transmission microscopy and X-ray structural analysis have shown that during irradiation, stresses arise in the structure due to the accumulation of protons. Both calculations and experiments revealed a displacement of zirconium atoms from the optimal position with the formation of regions of low electron density, near which implanted ions accumulate and positrons annihilate,” Laptev explained.
The new coatings could be in high demand, giving that Russia is exceptionally strong both in the nuclear and space industry field. For instance, the Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom is the country’s national leader in electricity generation, producing over 20% of the country’s total power, building several new nuclear plants in different parts of the country, and even the world’s only floating nuclear plants.
Rosatom also ranks first in the world in terms of the international order book, having 35 power units at different stages of implementation in 12 countries. The company’s 10-year order book of foreign orders is close to $130 billion.
The Russian space corporation Roscosmos is also among the world’s leaders in this area. Russia has enough carrier rockets to become the world’s leader in the number of space launches, State Space Corporation Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has recently said.
However, Tomsk University has not provided any information on when the new coatings are planned to hit the market.
New coatings for the oil and gas industry
A new anticorrosive material called to facilitate more smooth transportation of hydrocarbons through pipelines was developed by a group of scientists from Yaroslavl State Technical University.
The new technology is called to reduce energy losses during oil and gas transportation by reducing the roughness of the pipe’s inner surface, the scientists explained. The researchers claimed that they had managed to select the optimal formulation of the new coatings and already developed a technology for its industrial production.
Pipelines today remain the main method for transporting oil and natural gas in Russia. Remarkably, pipeline transport accounts for up to half of the country’s total freight turnover. However, as explained by the scientists, when transporting hydrocarbons over long distances, there is a problem of overcoming the forces of friction of oil or gas against the pipeline’s walls.
To solve this problem, Yaroslavl has developed a composite coating for the inner surface of pipes, which reduces the friction of the transported material against the surface.
“Today, the surface roughness of the used coatings is in the range of 3-5 microns. Compared to the roughness of 50 microns for 400-diameter pipes, they increase the maximum gas flow rate by almost 18 percent, from 8.25 million cubic meters to 9.91 million cubic meters per day. We have got a coating with a roughness of 0.18-0.35 microns, which increases the rate of hydrocarbons transportation while maintaining anticorrosive properties at a high level,” explained Professor Alexander Ilyin, head of the Department of Chemical Technology of Organic Coatings at Yaroslavl University.
As explained by Ilyin, the developed coatings have a complex composition. Epoxy resins are used as a binder, securing necessary physicochemical properties for the product. For good spreading over the painted surface, reducing the content of organic solvents, and increasing the smoothness of the formed film, the scientists introduced an active diluent - linear alkyl glycidyl ether - into the coating composition.
To impart anticorrosive properties to the coating, the researchers introduced anticorrosive pigments with various functional additives. High-performance pigments of this type traditionally contain lead, zinc, and heavy metals and negatively impact the environment and human health. However, scientists set the task to use less hazardous substances.
“We have developed environmentally friendly ion-exchange pigments based on amorphous silicon dioxide and core pigments with a polyaniline shell. Our ion-exchange pigment is an analog of the imported environmentally friendly Shieldex pigment, but 2-2.5 times cheaper. This is a pigment from food waste – a rice husk pyrolysis products “, Ilyin explained.
Scientists have already run tests of various methods of applying the new coatings to the pipe’s inner surface by pneumatic and airless spraying and using an applicator. Currently, the scientists work with the Russian leading coating producer JSC Russian Paints to launch industrial production of the coating.