IPT’s Laboratory for Corrosion and Protection being aware that nanotechnology represents a great potential for the optimization of corrosion protection methods started to make effort to train its technician in nanotechnology associated with corrosion and protection.
Two researchers took a stage at Institut Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft of Germany in functionalization of nanoparticles to be incorporated in organic coatings or in other cementitious materials, aiming at giving them specific properties such as hydrophobic or hydrophilic properties; self-healing property; conductivity; corrosion inhibiting property.
Two research and development projects are underway in the Lab. The first entitled "Nanostructured Coatings for Use in the Marine Environment " aims at developing a new generation of smart bifunctional coatings that combine the anti-corrosive and self-healing with anti-fouling properties for offshore application for the oil and gas sector as well as for eolic energy production. This project is being funded by REA – Research Executive Agency – European Comission. It is a cooperation project between the following institutions: University of Aviero (Portugal); Max Planck Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Wissenschaften E. V. (Germany); Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences-Crystallography ICRAS (Russia) and the Laboratory for Corrosion and Protection of IPT.
The second project, entitled "Application of Nanaotecnologia to Ground studies" aims at incorporating nanoparticles on polymeric and cementitious materials to provide them with conductive properties.
