Polymer Sealant vs. Everyday Corrosives
Hard
Can a thin layer of polymer sealant protect car paint from common corrosive substances? You spray-paint 20 metal sheets cut from car body panels. Half get a coat of polymer sealant. The other half stay unprotected.
You then apply ten everyday substances to matched pairs of sheets:
- Egg
- Clorox cleaner
- Bird droppings
- Soy sauce
- Tap water
- Sugar water
- Mouthwash
- Salad cream
- Cooking oil
- Shaving cream
Over four weeks, you check each sheet for signs of rust or corrosion. Some substances damage paint even through the sealant. Eggs, Clorox, and shaving cream are especially harmful.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that using polymer sealants will help a car paint last longer by providing a protective layer over the paint, preventing damage by various substances such as water and acid rain.
Method & Materials
You will spray paint 20 metal sheets, apply a coating of protective sealant to 10 of them, and spread 10 different materials on the metal sheets with and without the protective sealant.
You will need 20 pieces of metal from the exterior body of a car, 1 large can of automobile bodywork spray paint, polymer sealant, 2 eggs, 1 bottle of Clorox cleaner, bird dropping, 1 bottle of soy sauce, 1 bottle of tap water, 1 bottle of sugar diluted in water, 1 bottle of mouthwash, 1 bottle of salad cream, 1 bottle of cooking oil, and 1 can of shaving cream.
Results
The hypothesis was proven to be true. The paintwork on the metal sheets without the polymer coating began to corrode sooner than those which had coating. The protective coating acts as a first line of defense against corrosion-inducing chemicals, by allowing the protective coating to be damaged first before the corrosion is able to reach the surface of the paint.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how a simple protective coating can help protect car paint from corrosion-inducing chemicals. It also shows how some materials are more corrosive than others, and how the protective coating can help delay the process of corrosion.
Also Consider
Variations to consider include using different brands of paint, different metals such as zinc or aluminium, different types of protective coatings such as wax, and exposing the metal sheets to intense ultra violet rays or increasing the room temperature.
Full project details
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