Successful development of electroplated coating technology containing nanocapsules
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The Fraunhofer Institute website in Germany recently announced that the researchers have developed an electroplating coating technology containing nanocapsules, which can release repair fluids and repair scratches when the coating is damaged. The more functional metal surface is another step.
Creating metal surfaces like human skin has always been the dream of engineers. Human skin has a self-healing function, and small abrasions and wounds heal quickly without leaving scars. Engineers have been trying to make other materials have this self-healing function. its
The design is achieved by uniformly distributing liquid-filled sachets in the electroplated layer: once the coating is damaged, the small capsules at the breakage will rupture and the effluent liquid will "fix" the scratch. But so far, this solution has been unsuccessful due to the volume of the capsule, because for a coating of about 20 microns thick, a 10 micron to 15 micron capsule is too large, which changes the mechanical properties of the electroplated layer.
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and the University of Duisburg in Essen have developed new processes under the auspices of the Volkswagen Foundation to produce electroplated layers containing nanocapsules. These capsules are only a few hundred nanometers in diameter and are not an order of magnitude at all compared to the original capsule. According to Dr. Martin Metzner of the Institute, the key to the process is that the nanocapsules are not destroyed when the plating is made. Because the walls of these nanocapsules are very thin and extremely rupturable, the electrolyte used for electroplating is extremely chemical and can be easily destroyed. Therefore, researchers need to use these compatible materials to make these nanocapsules according to different electrolytes.
With a nanocapsule coating, the metal has a surface scratch healing function. For example, mechanical bearings, if there is a lack of lubricant, some of its plating will be destroyed, and the broken nanocapsule will release lubricant to protect the bearing from damage.
At present, researchers have produced copper, nickel, and zinc coatings containing nanocapsules, although their surface coverage is only a few centimeters. Experts estimate that it takes a year and a half to two years to complete the coating of the entire part. The next step for the research team is to design a more complex system – including nanocapsules filled with different liquids, where the liquid reacts like a two-component adhesive.