Title : Sustainable durability enhancement of components through bio-inspired nanocoatings; integration intelliget design of 3D printing and nano-technology
Abstract:
The proposed project aims to enhance the durability of automotive compoents through the application of bio-inspired nanocoatings for natural fiber composites (NFCs). NFCs have gained attention for their eco-friendly nature and lightweight structure but require significant improvements to withstand environmental conditions, particularly in exposure to moisture, UV radiation, and mechanical abrasion accelerates material degradation. Traditional synthetic materials like steel and concrete suffer from corrosion and require frequent maintenance, whereas NFCs offer a sustainable alternative. However, challenges such as moisture absorption, fouling, and mechanical wear hinder their widespread application. Automobile manufacturers, due to increasing environmental concerns, have turned to exploring the use of green technologies that not only produce lighter vehicles at lower costs but also improve fuel efficiency. For this purpose, natural fibers are automatically a suitable option, and NFCs are widely used in the automotive industry. These materials offer advantages such as weight reduction, improved fuel efficiency, effective sound insulation, vibration absorption for enhanced passenger comfort, aesthetic appeal, and carbon emission reduction. These features make NFCs a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional materials in vehicles. These composites are used in various car parts, including dashboards, door panels, seat backs, and interior panels. Currently, polymer composites with natural fibers are one of the popular topics in the automotive industry. In automotive applications, NFCs offer advantages over synthetic materials in terms of cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability, but their performance may be limited, especially in exterior car parts like bumpers. To determine the suitability of NFCs in the automotive industry, a thorough evaluation of mechanical properties, including tensile and bending strength, impact resistance, thermal conductivity, water absorption, and dimensional stability, is essential. Excessive moisture absorption can lead to dimensional instability and reduced mechanical properties, ultimately causing degradation of these composites over time. This issue becomes more significant in exterior parts of the car exposed to high moisture. Therefore, increasing the durability and lifespan of NFCs for their effective integration into the automotive industry is a crucial necessity. To overcome the limitations of NFCs, surface treatments, such as coating, have increasingly gained attention. An example of the use of coated NFCs is in car bumpers. The bumper must be sufficiently deformable to absorb impact energy, while also having adequate strength and stiffness to reduce the risk of damage. Choosing NFCs with appropriate coatings not only ensures pedestrian safety but also reduces the overall weight of the vehicle, while being resistant to moisture and damage caused by adverse weather conditions [1]. Recent advancements in bio-inspired coating NFCs demonstrate their potential in various industries, especially in automotive industry. Bio-inspired nanocoatings provide a promising solution by replicating natural systems that exhibit properties like self-cleaning, self-healing, water repellency, strength, corrosion and erosion resistance, ultimately contributing to safer and more efficient infrastructure development [2]. These coatings can be classified into three main categories based on nature-inspired mechanisms: biological structuring, biological mimicking, and biological functionalisation [3]. Biological structuring modifies the physical architecture of coatings, such as replicating the microstructures of lotus leaves for superhydrophobicity or shark skin denticles for anti-fouling effects. Biologically mimetic coatings imitate natural processes like self-healing or color-changing properties, similar to how some plants autonomously repair damage. Biological functionalization integrates bioactive compounds into the coating matrix to enhance durability and environmental resistance [4]. Although previous studies have explored mechanical and thermal enhancements using synthetic coatings like graphene oxide, polylactic acid, and epoxy, there is limited research on bio-inspired strategies specifically tailored for NFC applications. Internationally, bio-inspired coatings have been studied for improving NFC properties. For instance, Zhou et al. [5] developed mussel-inspired coatings with exceptional thermal resistance, enabling NFC applications in high-temperature environments. Qi et al. [6] and Vardaki et al. [7] demonstrated hydrophilic coatings based on mussel protein and chitosan, which prevent water accumulation and improve self-cleaning capabilities. Similarly, Li et al. [8] achieved a lotus-inspired superhydrophobic coating with a 121° contact angle, significantly enhancing corrosion resistance, making it suitable for marine and construction applications. Wang et al. [9] introduced a nature-inspired 2D flexible film with high mechanical strength and energy storage potential, opening new possibilities for NFCs in electronic applications. Research on NFC coatings has focused on fiber-level and surface-level modifications. Fiber coatings, such as graphene oxide-coated jute fibers, have shown a 183% increase in tensile strength and a 450% improvement in Young’s modulus, whereas surface coatings, such as epoxy resin applied to kenaf fibers, have demonstrated an 11.65% increase in tensile strength and enhanced thermal stability. In Australia, the growing focus on infrastructure resilience aligns with the need for advanced NFC coatings that enhance durability in coastal environments. This project builds upon existing research by integrating bio-inspired nanocoatings with locally available NFCs to create high-performance materials that reduce maintenance costs and extend infrastructure lifespan. By addressing key challenges such as moisture absorption, UV degradation, and fouling, this research directly contributes to national priorities in sustainable engineering. The findings will provide valuable insights for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers working on climate-resilient infrastructure. Through practical applications and collaborations with infrastructure agencies, this project will bridge the gap between material innovation and real-world engineering solutions, ensuring that bio-inspired NFC coatings become a viable option for automotive construction projects. A notable example in eco-inspired NFC coatings involves lotus leaf- and mussel-inspired systems, whose application potential is detailed in Table 3. Lotus leaves-inspired coating leads to provide anti-fouling cating that Prevents the attachment of organisms to NFC, reducing maintenance requirements and improving performance [10, 11]. In addition, Self-cleaning coating, inspired by the lotus effect that repels dirt particles and allows rain or airflows to remove contaminants, reducing maintenance needs and improving efficiency [12]. Mimics the microstructure of lotus leaves provides water-repellent properties to NFC surfaces [13, 14]. These properties were attributed to Microscale papillae and epicuticular wax crystals of lotus leaves. mussel-inspired causes providing self-healing coating I which Autonomously repairs cracks, scratches, or delamination, and ensures structural integrity and reduce the need for frequent inspections and maintenance [15, 16, 17, 18]. This is because of reversible bonding by catechol group in adhesive protein of mussle. This property enhanced NFC application in Automotive components.
