117. Self Repairing Corrosion Coating

What this episode covers

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss PPM (polyphenylene methylene), a self-repairing corrosion coating developed by researchers at ETH Zurich, including Marcus Niederberger, Walter Gopel, and Marco de Elia. They explain how this accidental discovery addresses the $40 billion annual global corrosion problem by offering a thinner, lighter, and fluorescent coating that simplifies defect detection and repairs minor cracks autonomously. The hosts highlight the material's environmental benefits, such as being 95% recyclable without property loss, and note that the team is currently seeking industry partners for commercialization.