Faculty of Science and Engineering
Part of The University of Manchester Research Network
Sustainable Coatings by Rational Design (SusCoRD)
Sustainable Coatings by Rational Design, SusCoRD, is a prosperity partnership between the Universities of Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool co-funded by AkzoNobel and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC: EP/S004963/1). This multi-disciplinary project, which runs from the years 2018 to 2024 aims to develop the tools for creating new and improved protective coatings.
The aim of SusCoRD is to essentially tell us “how paint works”. The SusCoRD Prosperity Partnership addresses fundamental research questions concerning the formulation, testing and field performance of corrosion protective organic coatings.
“We aim to connect the physicochemical properties of protective organic coatings with their service performance in order to enable the development of process and formulation models such that novel, environmentally sustainable, materials solutions can be rapidly developed by the application of digital predictive design”
The five-year programme is led by Prof. Stuart Lyon, The University of Manchester and Prof. Anthony Ryan, The University of Sheffield. It combines mechanistic insight from advanced characterisation with machine learning of historic test data to deliver a framework for the rational design of novel coating formulations. It brings together:
- Market-leading protective coatings for marine, transport and industry (AkzoNobel)
- World-leading research in corrosion protection (University of Manchester), polymer interfaces (University of Sheffield) and machine learning (University of Liverpool)
At present, the development cycle for new corrosion protective organic coatings is slow, evolutionary, and reliant on extensive testing with trial-and-error empiricism. This programme will, for the first time, use a multi-scale analytical and modelling framework to connect physiochemical properties with performance that enable the development of process and formulation models such that novel, environmentally sustainable materials solutions can be rapidly developed by the application of digital predictive design.
The academic institutions (Universities of Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool) bring together world-leading capabilities in corrosion science, materials characterisation, polymer science and machine learning and have worked with AkzoNobel and its predecessor bodies for over 30 years.
The Prosperity Partnership delivers a project of sufficient scale and focus to develop a step-change in the mechanistic understanding of corrosion protective coatings leading to improved, more environmentally friendly, paints and a more rapid development cycle. The partnership has strong links with end users including: Airbus, Crown, and Tata Steel.
Find out more at: http://bit.ly/106tN9G
Mid Term Review -Highlights
Starting in 2018, this 5-year research partnership between RCUK and AkzoNobel with the Universities of Manchester, Sheffield, and Liverpool will enable for the 1st time a fundamental mechanistic understanding of how the performance of corrosion protective organic coatings arises – essentially it will tell us “how paint works”. Overall the project will deliver understanding and tools that underpin the rapid-to-market development of environmentally sustainable protective organic coatings by rational design.
Work package 1
Predictive design and testing
To realise deep links between the individual components that comprise fully formulated coatings and correlate these to descriptors of performance by use of machine learning.
Leader
Prof. Stuart Lyon. The University of Manchester
AkzoNobel Manager
Dr Bob Luigjes
Team
Dr Michele Curioni, The University of Manchester (former lead)
Prof. Douglas Kell, The University of Liverpool
Dr Andrew Parnell, The University of Sheffied
Dr Soumitra Samanta, The University of Liverpool (former PDRA)
Dr Simon Gibbon, AkzoNobel
Dr Claudio di Lullo, AkzoNobel
Researchers
Vincenzo Bongiorno, PhD Student The University of Manchester
Dr Husanbir Pannu University of Liverpool (PDRA)
Predictive design and testing: Liverpool (Kell), UoS (Parnell), Manchester (Curioni, Lyon), AkzoNobel (Gibbon, Ramsden, Cairns)
Work package 2
Polymers and interfaces
To develop a multiscale mechanistic understanding of water and ionic transport in heterogeneous polymers and at inorganic/ polymer interfaces, in particular to consider the migration of active species from corrosion inhibitive pigments to the metallic substrate.
Leader
Prof. Richard Jones, The University of Manchester
AkzoNobel Manager
Dr Bob Luigjes
Team
Dr Steven Edmondson, The University of Manchester
Prof. Patrick Fairclough, The University of Sheffield
Prof. Stuart Lyon, The University of Manchester
Prof. Anthony Ryan OBE, The University of Sheffield
Dr Simon Gibbon, AkzoNobel
Dr Claudio di Lullo, AkzoNobel
Researchers
The University of Sheffield
Dr Stephanie Burg, PDRA
Francis Gurman, PhD Student
Derick Liew, PhD Student
Dr Melody Obeng, PDRA
Joseph Orgill, PhD Student
Dr Andrew Parnell, PDRA
The University of Manchester
Julie Cler, PhD Student
Naomi Farrer, PhD Student
Woraphan Intaphan, PhD Student
Dr Suzanne Morsch, Research fellow
Khalil Abdul Razaq, PhD Student
Aim: “To develop a multiscale mechanistic understanding of water and ionic transport in heterogeneous polymers and at inorganic/ polymer interfaces, in particular to consider the migration of active species from corrosion inhibitive pigments to the metallic substrate.” Polymers and interfaces: Sheffield (Jones, Ryan, Fairclough, Parnell); Manchester (Lyon, Morsch, Burnett); AkzoNobel (Wright, Murray)
Work package 3
Coatings and substrates
Understand how metallic substrates, and their surface treatment, influence polymer- substrate interactions, the interfacial solvation of metal ions, electrochemical charge transfer and the initiation of corrosion by application of multiscale, high-resolution analytical imaging combined with in-operando 3D and 4D imaging.
Leader
Prof. Xiaorong Zhou, The University of Manchester
AkzoNobel Manager
Dr Niek Hijnen
Team
Dr Tim Burnett, The University of Manchester
Mariam Bashat (former PhD Student)
Julie Cler (former PhD Student)
Dr Reza Emad (former PDRA)
Joshua Gornall (former PhD student)
Derrick Liew (former PhD Student)
Dr Rob Lindsay, The University of Manchester
Prof. Stuart Lyon, The University of Manchester
Dr Tammy Porter (former PDRA)
Prof. Richard Wilkinson, The University of Sheffield
Dr Doug Beaumont, AkzoNobel
Dr Simon Gibbon, AkzoNobel
Dr Claudio di Lullo, AkzoNobel
Researchers
The University of Manchester
Kaivalya Borwankar
Kathleen Brook, PhD Student
Naomi Farrer (Associated PhD Student)
Woraphan Intaphan (Associated PhD Student)
Dr Yanwen Liu, Research Fellow
Xingjun Zhou, PhD Student
Work package 4
Simulation and modelling
Create physicochemical and electrochemical multiscale simulation models for coating performance that encompasses mechanistic detail and have predictive capability.
Leader
Prof. Flor Siperstein, The University of Manchester
AkzoNobel Manager
Dr Peter Visser
Team
Dr Buddhapriya Chakrabarti, The University of Sheffield
Dr Claudio Pereira Da Fonte, The University of Manchester
Dr Josef Giddings, (former PDRA)
Dr Nick Stevens, The University of Manchester
Dr Charlie Wand, University of Exeter (former PDRA)
Dr Simon Gibbon, AkzoNobel
Dr Claudio di Lullo, AkzoNobel
Researchers
Callum Ayres, PhD Student
Kieran Harris, PhD Student
Responsible Research and Innovation
Good practise in responsible research and innovation is incorporated into the research programme across the SusCoRD partner organisations.
- EU Horizon 2020
- Responsible Research and Innovation – A Manchester Perspective
- AkzoNobel position statements
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – Responsible innovation
Events
SusCoRD Showcase, 16-17th Nov, The Grand York
Highlighting achievements and impacts from across the SusCoRD programme.
Corrosion @ Manchester: 65th Jubilee Symposium, 3/4 April 2023
Academic study into the corrosion and degradation of materials started over 65 years ago in the Chemical Engineering Department of the former University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). For over 50 years the corrosion laboratories were based in The Mill on the former UMIST campus. However, the new Manchester Engineering Campus Development has now afforded us state-of-the-art facilities to take our research forward into the next generation.
The 2-day meeting reflected on both the history of the subject and celebrated the opening of the new corrosion labs. The first day looked back at the history, and forwards to the future, of the subject, exploring the importance of industry collaboration and partnerships. A poster exhibition showcased current research. Tours the new laboratories were followed by dinner at the Manchester Museum. The second day showcased our SusCoRD research partnership with AkzoNobel.
Selected talks are available to view online:
- ‘Sustainable new corrosion protection technologies‘, presented by Andre van Linden and Claudio di Lullo, AkzoNobel
- ‘Evaluating coating performance by machine learning‘, presented by Vincenzo Bongiorno, University of Manchester
- ‘Thermal aging and degradation of epoxy coatings‘, presented by Naomi Farrer, University of Manchester
- ‘Electrochemical mechanism of coating failure‘, presented by Callum Ayres, University of Manchester
Browse our YouTube playlist:
Corrosion Science Symposium, 6-9 September 2021
Advances in Corrosion Protection by Organic Coatings Conference was held in Manchester on 6-9 September 2021. Several presentations were given by SusCoRD researchers. All the talks are now available to view.
One of the presentations is the Institute of Corrosion UR Evans award 2021 to Professor Mary Ryan.
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Management and governance
The Executive Team is comprised of the principal investigators, work package leaders and AkzoNobel team.
Academic PIs
Prof. Stuart Lyon
The University of Manchester
Prof. Tony Ryan
The University of Sheffield
Project Manager
Dr Jane Deakin
AkzoNobel SusCoRD Managers
Dr Claudio Di Lullo
Dr Simon Gibbon
Strategic Partnership Steering Committee
SusCoRD is overseen by a Strategic Partnership Steering Committee whose membership includes:
Prof. Stuart Lyon, The University of Manchester
Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan, The University of Manchester
Prof. Chris Hardacre, The University of Manchester
Dr Andre Van Linden, AkzoNobel
Dr Simon Gibbon, AkzoNobel
Claudio Di Lullo, AkzoNobel
Prof. Tony Ryan, The University of Sheffield
Prof. John Derrick, The University of Sheffield
Stephen Webb, EPSRC
James Tarver, EPSRC
Work package meetings take place monthly and whole group meetings take place biannually.