DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SELF-HEALING CAR PAINT USING CHITOSAN

📄 Project Abstract

Car surfaces are vulnerable to scratches from environmental conditions, thereby prompting car users to visit car workshop for re-spray. This process does not usually bring permanent solution to scratches on car surfaces since they are often re-spray with non-self-healing paint. The aim of this work was to develop self-healing car paint. In doing this, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to obtain an optimum paint formulation which was then improved into a self-healing car paint by incorporating chitosan into the formulation, sprayed on substrates, allowed to dry, scratched with a pin, exposed with UV light from the sun and then investigated for self-healing using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The model developed for drying time and coverage responses using (ANOVA) in the RSM study were significant as their respective "Prob > F" values were less than 0.0500 with R2 values 0.8693 and 0.9204 respectively. The "lack of fit" in both cases were not significant which is desirabl...