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NEWS

Smart coatings in the pipeline

Made from cheap chemicals, this polymer packs a punch

n imaginative approach to polymer Flinders University’s chemistry Professor Justin Chalker says the research is a
surface coating has produced significant step forward in multi-functional coatings.
Aa sustainable way to remove “The unique chemical composition of the smart coating enables protection
mercury from water – while providing a of substrates, active removal of toxic mercury species from water and oil, and is
wide range of protection, including for repairable which ensures its sustainability,” says Matthew Flinders Professor Chalker,
preventing metal corrosion and solvent from the Institute of Nanoscale Science and Technology at Flinders University.
damage of plastic PVC pipes. “The coating is solvent resistant and can also remove mercury from oil and water
The smart coating, made from low- mixtures, which is of importance to remediation in the petroleum and gas industry.”
cost chemicals from oil refining and Max Mann conducted part of this study in the UK on an exchange at Dr Tom
other sources, can also prevent acid and Hasell’s University of Liverpool lab as part of ongoing collaboration between the
water damage of concrete surfaces and Chalker Lab and Hasell Lab in Liverpool.
be repaired in situ by a simple heating The article, Processes for coating surfaces with a copolymer made from sulfur
process, says Flinders University project and dicyclopentadiene (2022) by Maximilian Mann, Bowen Zhang, Samuel J Tonkin,
leader Max Mann. Christopher T Gibson, Zhongfan Jia, Tom Hasell and Justin M Chalker is the cover
“Made easily from elemental sulphur story in Polymer Chemistry (Royal Society of Chemistry) DOI: 10.1039/D1PY01416A
and dicyclopentadiene (DCPD is a by- More information: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/y2u25be2p1mayq0i3rcq2/h?
product of petroleum refining), this new dl=0&rlkey=4c76fxw8j8z1aco18mz7le2h4 Also: https://youtu.be/ubD-QMyLLsg
coating is multi-functional, which gives (Innovation and Skills - South Australia)
us broad scope to use it in a wide range Professor Justin Chalker was Innovator the Year winner (Novatech sponsor) in the
of useful ways and for longer lasting 2021 SA Science Excellence and Innovation Award winner. Main photo (Justin Chalker
industrial products and components,” says Lab): by Randy Larcombe, Department of Innovation and Skills (SA Government,
Flinders University PhD candidate Max 2021)
Mann, lead author of the cover article in
this month’s issue of Polymer Chemistry. Acknowledgements: The project was funded by the Australian Research Council
“This exciting new area of research (DP200100090)
extends fundamental chemistry to several
practical applications,” says Mann. Contact Tania Bawden, Flinders University, tania.bawden@flinders.edu.au,
“The method for making the coating www.news.Flinders.edu.au
is safer than methods previously used for
related coatings. The team developed a
lower temperature process that prevented
runaway reactions,” adds co-author,
University of Liverpool researcher Dr
Bowen Zhang.
Along with its protective powers
against corrosion, solvent damage and acid
and water damage, the research found
the active coating can capture toxic metals
such as mercury.
The coating is repairable: scratches
and damage can be repaired by the simple
application of heat, the Flinders-Liverpool
team found.
This process is possible because of the
coating’s chemical structure which allows
sulphur-sulphur bonds to be broken and
re-formed.

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