What if you could paint your house this fall knowing you wouldn't have to do it again for another 100 years?
That's the prospect facing those who maintain large steel structures like bridges and battleships, thanks to an innovative new coating and application process developed by MesoCoat, Inc., of Euclid.
The Federal Highway Administration estimates that the annual cost of corrosion nationally is $442 billion, or 3.1 percent of the gross domestic product. The estimated cost in Ohio alone is $15 billion.
MesoCoat is addressing that problem by developing a coating to replace the noxious chrome-based applications that have been the mainstay of corrosion control. But here's the best part: According to MesoCoat President and CEO Andrew Sherman, the new coating will last at least 100 years, compared to the current eight to 20 years. It's as cheap as current materials without the hazardous chemicals associated with traditional processes.
The patented coating, called PComP, was initially developed for application within the aerospace industry, extending the life of components such as shafts, actuators and landing gears. Now the company is preparing to launch FarCoat equipment that will match PComP with nanocomposite coatings for application to very large structures such as ships and bridges.
Over the next two years, Sherman expects both the coatings and the application technology to be available for use nationally.
MesoCoat, formed in 2007, now employs six, is looking to fill three open spots and, as its Series A financing is completed, will add another five. "When we transition into the marketplace we will about double," Sherman says.
Source: Andrew Sherman
Writer: Gene Monteith