Anticorrosive and self-repairing paint created by UdeC students will be released in 2023

After years of research among FI UdeC students and professors, a self-repairing and anticorrosive product was created. Its function is to protect the metal or steel against aggressive agents such as water, chloride and various atmospheric pollutants. Their name in the market will be Colorbri. This paint is used for the industrial, marine, paper and mining sectors, among others.

With resources acquired in 2016, through the Fund for the Promotion of Scientific and Technological Development (Fondef), this study was carried out, which ended in 2018, and which since 2020 allowed the creation of the product made by UdeC students.

The director of the Materials Engineering Department, Manuel Meléndrez, highlighted the realization of this project “the research included human resources, which were trained with 7 undergraduate students and 2 doctoral students. Each one worked on a project objective, which generated 2 patents and 5 scientific publications after patenting the material”.

The academic regarding the participation of students in the research indicated “the important thing about the presence of students is that they realize that there is a real problem and contribute by providing a solution. In addition, it helps them to interact with the industry, universities and problems associated with the times”, concluded Melendrez.

They stood out for their participation in the process: David Rojas (professor), Luis Felipe Montoya (professor), Manuel Melendrez (professor), Katherine Fernández (student), Jesús Ramírez (student), Nicolás Garrido (student) and Clara Villalba (student). .

Nicolás Garrido, Dimat studentreferred to the possibility of being part of this project in its pilot plan “it has been a pleasant experience because we have meetings constantly, the teacher gives us his ideas or makes us investigate to keep us motivated. also work It has helped me in the collaborative part with other engineers, to interact and to be able to show each one their knowledge. We made a good scientifically based and well-crafted product.”

To carry out the pilot plan, the University of Concepción signed a loan agreement with the Cañetina company Ditnovawhere the painting was created.

For its part, Jesús Ramírez, PhD student in Materials Engineering Sciencesvalued the experience of being part of this research “here I saw the entire process, from the formulation stage of a paint, completion of the physical-chemical parameter and that it complies with everything requested to be an anticorrosive. I had the opportunity to participate in both processes, at the laboratory and pilot level, so it is a very great experience, because it validated what knowledge is at the laboratory and industrial level.”.