Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Painting & Coating Industry (PCI) logo Powder coating summit logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • Market Trends & Reports
    • Price Alerts
    • Subscribe to eNewsletters
    • Global Top 10/ PCI 25
    • Weekly Featured Article
    • COATLE Word Game
  • PRODUCTS
    • Product News
    • Must See Products and Services
  • MATERIALS
    • Additives
    • Resins/Polymers
    • Pigments
    • Equipment
    • Distributors
  • TECHNOLOGIES
    • Adhesives
    • Architectural Coatings
    • FINISHING
      • Finishing News
      • Finishing Technologies
      • Finishing Equipment
      • Finishing Today
    • Industrial Coatings
    • Nanotechnology
    • Powder Coatings
    • Solventborne
    • Special Purpose Coatings
    • Sustainability
    • UV Coatings
    • Waterborne
  • RESOURCES
    • Columns
      • Ask Joe Powder
      • Did you know?
      • Distribution Dive
      • Focus on Canada
      • Formulating With Mike
      • Innovation Insights
      • Moody's Coatings Conundrums
      • Powder Coating Perspectives
      • Target the Market
      • TiO2 Insider
    • Blogs
      • Editor's Viewpoint
      • Industry Insights
    • Coatings Supplier Handbook
    • Podcasts and Videos
      • COAT-IT! Podcast
      • Videos/PCI TV
    • PCI Store
    • Classifieds
    • eBooks
    • Sponsor Insights
    • White Papers
    • COATLE Word Game
  • EVENTS
    • Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit
    • Paint and Coatings Academy
    • Webinars
    • Calendar of Events
    • Lifetime Achievement Award
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Buyer's Guide
    • Equipment Directory
    • Materials Directory
  • EMAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • eMagazine Archive
    • China Issue Archive
    • Editorial Advisory Board
  • CONTACT
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe to eMagazine
    • Subscribe to eNewsletters
  • SIGN UP!
Finished Products

Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramics

More Than a Temporary Corrosion Covering

By Del Williams, Technical Writer, Torrance, California
chemically bonded phosphate
February 1, 2012
Corrosion of steel, aluminum and other structural metals erodes the safety and financial stability of industries and countries alike. Fighting corrosion in ships, tanks, planes and equipment costs the Pentagon $22.9 billion a year. Corrosion costs advanced industrialized nations about 3.5% of GDP to replace damaged material and components, plus a similar amount due to lost production, environmental impact, disrupted transportation, injuries and fatalities.

While traditional corrosion protection has relied mostly on short-lived, physically bonded coverings of substrate surfaces, a new category of chemically bonded phosphate ceramics (CBPCs) can create a long-lived passivation layer that stops corrosion. This is further protected by a tough ceramic outer layer.

The Limits of Traditional Corrosion Protection

For generations, polymer paints have acted as a physical barrier to keep corrosion promoters such as salt water and oxygen away from steel and aluminum substrates. This works until the paint is scratched, chipped or breached, and corrosion promoters enter the gap between the substrate and polymer coating. Then the coating can act like a greenhouse − trapping water, oxygen and other corrosion promoters − allowing corrosion to spread.

Placing sacrificial, reactive elements next to steel that will corrode first, such as zinc and galvanized coatings, is another strategy. This works until the sacrificial elements are consumed and recoating must be done, usually after a few years.

Cathodic protection, where a negative voltage is imposed on steel, can limit corrosion on pipelines or other stationary, continuous metal structures where voltage can be attached. But this can fail if it’s not properly insulated and voltage goes to ground.

For assets that demand long-term corrosion protection, stainless steel alloys work. But with stainless steel costing up to six times more than mild steel, this option is often cost prohibitive.

A New Approach to Corrosion Protection

Ideally, engineers, facility managers and industrial paint contractors would want the long-term corrosion resistance of a stainless steel part with the lower cost of coating application. A new category of CBPCs, such as EonCoat, is now basically making this possible. “Unlike polymer paints that simply cover a substrate, CBPCs essentially ‘alloy’ the surface,” says Tony Collins, CEO of EonCoat.

Dr. Arun Wagh, a former materials engineer at Argonne National Lab, and lead developer of the technologies underlying EonCoat ceramics, explains it like this: “When a dual-component spray gun mixes an acid phosphate with base minerals and metal oxides in a water slurry, a chemical reaction occurs on the surface of the steel substrate.” “A hand-held thermometer indicates a 10-12 °F temperature rise, as iron becomes a corrosion-resistant passivation layer of iron oxyhydroxide. Because the passivation layer is electrochemically stable, like gold and platinum, it does not react with corrosion promoters such as water and oxygen.”

Scanning electron microscopy indicates this passivation layer is about 20 microns thick. X-ray diffraction indicates this passivation layer is about 60% iron with components of phosphate, magnesium, silicon, hydrogen and oxygen.

“History suggests that EonCoat’s passivation layer may resist corrosion indefinitely, as demonstrated by the Iron Pillar of Delhi,” says Wagh. “The Iron Pillar, a 7-meter high, 6-ton Indian artifact that has resisted corrosion for 1600 years with its original inscriptions still legible, has a virtually identical passivation layer to that of EonCoat.”

In contrast to typical polymer coatings, which sit on top of the substrate, EonCoat bonds through a chemical reaction with the substrate, so slight surface oxidation actually improves the reaction. This makes it virtually impossible for corrosion promoters like oxygen and humidity to get behind the coating the way they can with ordinary paints.

The corrosion-resistant passivation layer is further protected by a true ceramic outer shell. This dense ceramic outer shell is impermeable to water, and resists impact, abrasion, chemicals and fire. The ceramic outer shell forms simultaneously with the passivation layer and chemically bonds with it, after acid and base materials mix in the spray gun nozzle then react with the substrate surface. The dual-layer ceramic coating can be used both as a primer and a topcoat, and can be applied in a single pass that’s dry to the touch in 1 min, hard dry in 15 min, and can be returned to service in an hour.

Though CBPCs such as EonCoat have proven themselves in the laboratory and in examples such as the Iron Pillar, Tony Collins knew that the effectiveness of the new material had to be compared to that of traditional anti-corrosion coatings.

Duplicating a NASA corrosion test, Collins immediately put EonCoat to the test against 19 leading anti-corrosion coatings in a live corrosion test, viewable to the public by webcam. Coated samples were scribed, then exposed to 12 h of sea spray, followed by 12 h of sunlight (or the UV light equivalent). After 45 days, every other high-performance coating tested failed. Except for the rust on its scribe (gouge) line, the EonCoat sample looked the same as day one.

To monitor another ongoing corrosion test modeled on NASA’s sea spray test, the public can view, zoom and control a live webcam at www.eoncoat.com. In the latest test, which has passed 120 days and includes brand names matched to numbers, 20 Q panels coated with a popular primer, topcoat, or EonCoat are sprayed daily with corrosive seawater.

“There’s nothing like seeing results with your own eyes,” says Collins of the ongoing corrosion tests displayed by webcam. “The product has gone more than 10,000 h with no corrosion in a salt spray ASTM B117 test, but we believe that engineers, facility managers and industrial contractors will see value in comparing its effectiveness with leading brands. CBPCs like EonCoat are a new approach to corrosion protection that should be looked into as aging plants, equipment and infrastructure need to be safely maintained as long as possible.” 

For more information, visit www.eoncoat.com.

 

KEYWORDS: Corrosion Control Protective Coatings

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California. He writes about health, business, technology and educational issues.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • pci1022-Kinaltek-Lead-1170.jpg

    A Novel Pigment Production Technology

    Following an extensive R&D program that demonstrated...
    Paint and Coating Pigments
    By: Jawad Haidar and Nitin Soni
  • pci global top 10

    2025 Global Top 10: Top Paint and Coatings Companies

    The following is PCI’s annual ranking of the top 10...
    Global Top 10 and PCI 25
    By: Courtney Bassett
  • 2025 pci 25

    2025 PCI 25: Top Paint and Coatings Companies

    PCI's annual ranking of the top 25 North American paint...
    Paint and Coating Market Reports
    By: Courtney Bassett
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the PCI audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of PCI or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Modern arapartment complex painted in bright colors.
    Sponsored byEPS - Engineered Polymer Solutions

    Architectural Polymers Leading the Way in Coatings Innovation

  • paint sprayer in a workshop
    Sponsored byallnex

    Enabling Performance and Compliance: allnex Introduces a New Line of VOC Exempt Solvent-Borne Resins

Popular Stories

No. 3 AkzoNobel

AkzoNobel’s $1.4B Divestment Signals Strategy Shift

PCI voices from the top

eBook | PCI Voices from the Top

Mergers and Acquisitions

RPM Expands Portfolio With Strategic Acquisition



PCI Buyers Guide

Submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to suppliers of your choice with details on what you need with a click of a button

Start your RFP

Browse our Buyers Guide for manufacturers and distributors of all types of coatings products and much more!

Find Suppliers

Events

September 3, 2025

Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit

The Coatings Trends & Technologies (CTT) Summit is an annual conference for both liquid and powder coatings formulators and manufacturers to discuss innovations in coatings technology. This event combines high-quality technical presentations, a resource-rich exhibit hall, and dedicated networking opportunities to connect scientific minds, foster innovation, and cultivate game-changing new ideas!

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Longest-running laboratory experiment

What is the longest-running laboratory experiment?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

CTT Summit Short Courses (Live 9/3/25)

Coatings Trends & Technologies Summit is expanding its offerings with four short courses. These short courses will offer an extensive day of interactive learning.

See More Products
pci voices from the top ebook

PCI CASE EBOOK

Related Articles

  • IndustrialCoatings-stk311313rkn.jpg

    Corrosion Protection with New Cost-Effective Coating

    See More
  • Re-Inventing Primer to Prevent Industrial Facility Corrosion

    Re-Inventing Primer to Prevent Industrial Facility Corrosion

    See More
  • EonCoat feature

    Michigan Utility Turns to Unique Coating to Handle Corrosion

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9780323355957.jpg

    Adhesives Technology Handbook, 3rd Edition

  • 9780080447087.jpg

    Handbook of Adhesives and Sealants, Volume 2

  • biological.jpg

    Biological and Biomedical Coatings Handbook: Processing and Characterization

See More Products
×

Keep the info flowing with our eNewsletters!

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey & Sample
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Youtube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing