A new coating based on polymer-derived ceramics (PDC), oxides and refractory ceramic with a thickness of around 50 µm has been developed to improve the resistance corrosion of stainless steel substrate against molten aluminum alloy in a thermal energy storage (TES) system designed to run at high temperature (up to 600 °C). These coatings implemented by straightforward methods, like tape casting or paintbrush, were coated on planar and cylindrical stainless-steel substrates, pyrolyzed at 700 °C before being plunged for 600 and 1200 h in molten AlSi 12 at 700 °C. The stainless-steel substrate appears healthy without intermetallic compounds, characteristic of molten aluminum alloy corrosion. The protective coating against AlSi 12 corrosion shows excellent performance and appears interesting for TES applications.
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1. Introduction
Renewable energies such as solar energy are intermittent resources that can induce a mismatch between supply and demand and constitute a limit to their use. Thermal energy storage (TES) is essential in increasing the supply and use of renewable energy and reducing the carbon footprint. The integration and utilization of latent thermal energy storage (LTES) with heat recovery systems is the most potential and cost-effective solution. Due to the large energy storage density of metallic phase change materials (PCM), combining solar power plants with LTES is the most effective method to provide flexible electricity to the grid and supply large-scale power services [1].
Many PCMs have been reported in the literature for concentrating solar power (CSP) such as Mg-51% Zn [2], light-weight alloys based on Mg-Zn-Al [3], CaSi (melting temperature (Tm) of 782 °C) [4], CuMgSi (Tm of 742 °C) [4], eutectic alloy compositions based on 88Al-12Si (AlSi12–Tm of 577 °C) [5], and 60Al-34-Mg-6Zn (Tm of 454 °C) [6].
AlSi12 alloy is considered to be a promising metallic PCM [7]. It has a low melting temperature [8], is stable during heating and cooling cycles [9], has high thermal conductivity (190 W·m−1·K−1 at 577 °C [7]), high latent heat of fusion of 548.6 J·g−1 at 577 °C [9] and is low cost.
Liquid aluminum alloys are materials known to be extremely corrosive to most metals and metal oxides [10], which is critical in a TES system designed in stainless steel and working at a temperature above 600 °C. Corrosion issues in TES systems conditions are hardly addressed in the literature [11], although the literature is well documented concerning the development of corrosion-resistant materials. Among the investigations, boronized carbon steel showed good resistance to corrosion [12] following 120 h at 630 °C in molten aluminum. This working time is, however, limited compared to that of the TES systems.
Fukahori et al. [13] introduce the high corrosion resistance of ceramic substrates such as alumina (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), and silicon nitride (Si3N4) to molten Al-Si alloys. However, these interesting materials for the LTES are brittle, expensive, and difficult to deposit with low-cost processes. To make these materials suitable for the application, a coating of iron container surface with a protective layer of Al2O3 has been proposed [11]. The method consists of hot dipping the steel into molten aluminum. Molten aluminum in contact with iron creates iron aluminide (intermetallic compound). The surface is then oxidized to obtain the protective ceramic layer [11]. Although the Al2O3 layer shows excellent corrosion resistance at 250 °C for 250 h, no information is given for applications working above 600 °C. The sol-gel process enables the synthesis of ceramic material as silica (SiO2), zirconia (ZrO2), Al2O3, titanium oxide (TiO2). These materials, easily deposited on surfaces with inexpensive processes, showed excellent chemical stability, and improve the corrosion resistance of metal substrates (steel, aluminum, and their alloys) at low temperatures [14].
Polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) [15] are organic/inorganic polymers, forming amorphous ceramics after pyrolysis at temperatures between 600 and 1000 °C. PDC are easy to apply on substrates of any shape by dip coating, spray-coating, spin-coating, or tape casting. PDC composite coatings are described in literature as promising candidates to be used as alternative environmental barrier coatings for corrosion and oxidation protection of metals at elevated temperatures (600–1000 °C) [16]. The main drawback of PDC technology is the unavoidable shrinkage which occurs due to the large density change when the polymer precursor with a typical density of 1 g·cm−3, is converted to the ceramic product, often with a density above 2 g·cm−3 [17]. The volume shrinkage can be greater than 50%. Active or passive fillers are, therefore, added to limit shrinkage. In the literature based on oxygen corrosion, the addition of glass in the PDC slurry can be noticed [17,18,19]. This glass improves the adhesion of the PDC-containing layer to the substrate and thus improves the corrosion protection of the metal. Al2O3 [17] or Al2O3-Y2O3-ZrO2 [18,19] passive fillers are also blended to minimize the shrinkage and for its good antioxidation properties at high temperature. These, although interesting, composite PDCs have not been evaluated in the presence of molten aluminum.
Commercial corrosion protection solutions have also been developed for the aluminum foundry industry (Condat, Dycote, Aluminium Martigny, Chimilin, France). These materials are based on graphite, boron nitride, and refractory powders. However, these solutions have not been listed in the TES literature. A preliminary study based on commercial materials was, therefore, carried out and detailed in the Appendix A. These materials are easy to process and inexpensive. An investigation at 700 °C in molten AlSi12 of these materials showed poor adhesion, delamination, or lack of corrosion resistance of the coating on the stainless-steel TES substrate. However, this study confirmed the interest in using the boron nitride material to fight against corrosion of aluminum alloys.
The primary object of this study is to develop a coating on 304L stainless steel with a high corrosion protection in presence of molten AlSi12 at 700 °C for 600–1200 h. Besides, to be easy to implement and economically attractive, the relevant coating needs to have the following properties: (i) good adhesion at high temperature, delamination- and crack-free; (ii) low wettability to molten aluminum alloy (AlSi12); (iii) good durability in molten aluminum alloy (AlSi12).
The composition of the protective layer is based on polymer-derived ceramic, glass frit and passive filler with low interaction with molten aluminum. The thermal behavior, wettability and thermal conductivity of the protective material were first characterized. This material was then applied to 304L stainless steel substrates, and its behavior in the presence of molten AlSi12 was evaluated.
Can tape solve all of life’s problems?
It’s debatable. However, what the right tape CAN do is provide a quick and easy application, fixing challenges so you can get back to doing your job.
In any business, objects are likely to break, become damaged, or simply need to be connected. If the need to fasten and patch things together is a constant variable in your company, it only makes sense that you’d want a fast solution that allows you to move on to the next task.
Throughout the past three decades, Strouse has shared the strength and resistance of 3M VHB and helped customers choose a type based on their specific product.
Today, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about 3M VHB tape, including what it is, what it can do, and whether it’s ideal for your business needs.
What is 3M VHB Tape Used For?
Many types of tape are made only to hold simple household items or make work in an office setting easier. Others are created for more specific uses, like professional painter's tape, or reflective tape used on commercial vehicles. In any case, you rarely find a type of tape engineered to tackle the toughest challenges in the industry.
3M VHB industrial tapes are a quick and efficient interior and exterior bonding solution. Rather than a temporary fix until you find a better product; 3M VHB tape IS the solution. These adhesive tapes are designed to permanently adhere to practically any surface, including metal, wood, glass, and many surface energy plastics and paints.
3M VHB tape is created using naturally viscoelastic acrylic foam, meaning it’s flexible yet able to retain its high strength while stretching to fit around an object. This gives the foam energy-absorbing and stress-relaxing properties, allowing it to sit perfectly on any surface and even move with the attached item.
The VHB tape is actually a subcategory or "family" of adhesive tapes. Each product is unique, and you’ll want to buy the specific 3M VHB tape that works for your conditions. For example, the '49' tape family is great for a broad range of surfaces, including glass and plastics, while the '59' tape family works on most powder-coated plastics, and the RP+ tape family is geared towards metals and mismatched surfaces.
For these reasons, 3M VHB double sided tape tends to be a constant go-to choice for many industrial uses and continues to help businesses create practical solutions to industrial problems.
What Are the Benefits of Using 3M VHB Tape?
3M VHB tape is tough, temperature resistant, conformable, discreet, and used to attach dissimilar materials. Many benefits come with using 3M VHB tape, and more uses are created as it continues to make its name in the industry daily.
By reviewing the top six benefits of using 3M VHB, we’ll cover why many companies adopt it as an alternative to mechanical fasteners.
1. IT'S ONE OF THE TOUGHEST MATERIALS OUT THERE
3M VHB tape offers one of the strongest bonds out of any adhesive. In fact, VHB tape has been certified in the industry to have a powerful bond (it's in the name: VHB = “Very High Bond”).
Its adhesive properties alone give it an incredibly durable hold on any surface. Still, combined with its elastic properties, it can absorb the shock of any load, making it perfect for static and dynamic operations.
Furthermore, the potent adhesive mix in the tape allows it to hold strong and long. 3M VHB tape can stay in place for many years and will continue doing its job just as well as it did the first time it was applied.
2. IT CAN WORK IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES
Every product is limited to the hot or cold conditions it functions in, and the same goes for tape. Most adhesives have a limited temperature range, with their cool spectrum capping off at 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
3M VHB double sided tape is much more durable than your everyday tape, taking on freezing temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. THE TAPE CAN MOLD TO ANY SHAPE
You undoubtedly work with equipment that has a multitude of complex parts. Often, difficult parts are too challenging to fix properly with traditional adhesives, and fasteners have a fixed shape that might not solve the problem.
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The VHB adhesive’s contouring abilities allow it to stretch, squeeze, and otherwise shape itself around any surface with ease, and its foam-based material helps it to flow into microscopic irregularities in the item and seal them all shut, guaranteeing a powerful and long-lasting bond.
4. YOU CAN'T SEE IT (LOW VISIBILITY)
While you COULD hang your family photos using duct tape, there are several reasons why you’d probably use low-visibility adhesives.
Regular tape can be bulky, uneven, and rely on the precision of your application, but with certain 3M VHB tapes, you won't be able to see a thing after you’ve applied them. That's because many VHB tapes were designed to go virtually invisible after application, so you can get results that look smooth.
5. YOU CAN USE IT TO COMBINE DISSIMILAR MATERIALS
You may be limited with what you can use traditional adhesives and fasteners on.
In most cases, fasteners are designed only to fit a specific way within a particular material, and even though adhesives can be used on a decent range of surfaces, they are still limited to certain types of bonding due to the materials they may be made of.
3M VHB tape has no limitations. VHB tape can not only fasten together almost any surface you can throw at it, but it can also hold together surfaces made from entirely different materials with no problem. Feel free to combine metal with wood, wood with plastic, or anything else your heart desires; the correct VHB tape will hold it together and offer guaranteed security.
6. IT OFFERS DOUBLE THE POWER
The 3M VHB tape comes with not one, but two sides of adhesive sticking power, so you can get double the strength and double the power from every use. This means it doesn't just cover up cracks or fasten small sections; the VHB tape can combine whole parts using both sides, offering its strength to manage stress loads and complete even the most significant projects.
How Does 3M VHB Tape Compare With Other Fasteners?
Depending on how long your business has run, you may have grown fond of traditional fasteners. However, sometimes change is necessary to upgrade your business to new heights.
3M VHB tape is a consistent and reliable tool for many products, and to help demonstrate why people change, we’ll explain a few reasons you might want to switch things up.
IT'S VERY COST-EFFICIENT
Have you ever evaluated how much you spend on your rivets, clamps, bolts, and other holds and fasteners? Surely it's quite a lot- so much that you're better off not looking at the numbers for fear of cringing.
Buying 3M VHB tape is as cheap as you can get when it comes to fasteners - but that doesn't mean it's a low-quality product in any way. In fact, VHB tape is on par with almost any other fastening product currently on the market, helping you take care of your problems for only a fraction of the price.
ONE SIZE FITS ALL
More than a drain on the wallet, fasteners can also be cumbersome, easy to lose, and hard to find when needed. This can cause work progress delays, making it difficult to complete your primary objective.
VHB tape drastically reduces your chances of being caught in this problem. The adhesive tape can work as a fastener for almost any project; simply grab the tape, place or wrap it around the material, and voila! The problem is solved, and the material can be used once the tape finishes bonding to the surface.
NO NEED FOR THE EXTRA MECHANICAL WORK
Let's say you want to use a new fastener to connect two pieces, but these pieces need the proper female counterparts to place the fasteners into. To connect them, you must modify the pieces so the fastener can fit properly. This could end up causing more problems than it's worth.
Drilling, riveting, welding, and other forms of parts modification can be time-consuming, especially if you need all the equipment or know how to do it yourself on-site. You may also need to modify the type of fastener you use, which could mean getting a custom manufacturing job done.
3M VHB tape doesn't need modifications, professional workmanship, or extra cash to work its wonders. It's as simple as placing a strip of tape along the areas that need bonding to do its job.
Which 3M VHB Tape is Best For Me?
You’ve learned about the many benefits of 3M VHB tape, but you still need to figure out which tape you need. Luckily for you, Strouse has bought our fair share of VHB.
You can find plain rolls of VHB online, but when you’re looking for custom lengths and shapes, you’ll want to seek out the help of an eto check your design for manufacturability and get you started on your way towards production.
Strouse helps companies like yours select the right 3M VHB tape for the job and provide it in the format most conducive to your process, whether in rolls, die cuts, sheets, or multi-stack lamination. In addition, we offer 3M VHB double sided tape, tape masking solutions, medical device adhesives, surface protection tape, industrial and fastener tape, and more.
In the VHB Selection Guide above, you'll find the adhesive solution that best suits your project and a detailed explanation of your options going forward. If you have any questions, about VHB or making a selection, please contact us.
Originally published: May 4, 2020
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