Abstract
A smart coating system that provided a means of detecting areas where corrosion can initiate was demonstrated and implemented on an Army Installation’s central vehicle wash facility CVWF) grit settling chamber water inlet pipe. Optically active additives were incorporated into the primer of a commercially available epoxy coating system and tested in the laboratory. Following successful testing, these coating systems were implemented on the inlet pipe. The coatings fluoresce under ultraviolet (UV) light inspection to reveal areas where coatings have developed holidays in the top coat, or areas of incomplete coverage, which exhibit brighter luminosity than surrounding areas. In addition, laboratory tested microcapsules containing film formers, corrosion inhibitors, and marker dyes were mixed into paint as a dry powder at the time of application, and applied to critical areas of the pipe surfaces. The microcapsules break open if the coating is damaged and spill out their contents to protect and mark the damaged areas until they can be repaired after UV inspection. The early identification of coating damage will allow for more timely maintenance repairs to be performed before the surface is destroyed by corrosion.
