Abakan Inc., Miami, announces that its majority-owned subsidiary MesoCoat Inc., Euclid, Ohio, has received a Phase One SBIR Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a six-month project to develop CermaClad high-speed large-area metal cladding technology for bridges. The technology enables application of very thin layers of proprietary zinc materials to prevent corrosion by forming a physical barrier that acts as a sacrificial anode when the barrier is in danger.
It is a replacement alternative for the highly toxic galvanizing process. The EPA funding will be used to develop the product for infrastructure applications.
MesoCoat will use CermaClad metal cladding technology to apply very thin layers of proprietary zinc materials to prevent corrosion by forming a physical barrier that acts as a sacrificial anode when the barrier is in danger. The primary application of CermaClad LT zinc cladding is intended for corrosion protection for steel components including bridge decks, structures and beams, marine, power generation, refineries, grid transmission towers, railroads, and oil/gas infrastructure.
Frost and Sullivan expects the global demand for zinc to be 13.2 million metric tons (MT) in 2014, of which 50% of the total production is to be used for galvanizing steel against corrosion, which translates into an approximately $18 billion market for galvanizing globally. However, current galvanizing methods rely on toxic processes that utilize hazardous and noxious materials which generate toxic emissions. Chemical baths used during the galvanizing (pickling) process are among the leading producers of industrial waste.
