RUST PROOFING BY GLASS-LINING

The global annual cost of steel corrosion/rusting is estimated at ~$2.5 trillion. It is ~$250 billion for USA and ~$100 billion for India. Galvanizing and painting steel are the two major methods used to minimize corrosion. To prevent steel from rusting completely forever, one needs to have a coating which is totally impervious to moisture and oxygen. The best material which is totally impervious and not affected by the environment is glass. However, glass is brittle. We have developed a flexible glass formulation. The powder/frit of the flexible glass was coated on a steel plate and melted at ~800oC and cooled to room temperature. The glass coating bonded well with the steel and the glass did not crack upon bending to more than a 90o angle.