image: Carbon-based additives in organic coatings for the corrosion protection of mild steel
Credit: Ren Chong LIM, DPhil (Oxon), MRes (Imperial), MSci (London)
Corrosion is often a silent destroyer, but its impact on the global economy is deafening. According to the Association for Materials Protection and Performance, corrosion costs the world approximately $2.5 trillion annually, a figure representing about 2.4% of the global GDP. This economic burden is comparable to the entire world's annual spending on the military or the automotive sector.
In an upcoming session of the Carbon Research International Forum (24th Edition), scheduled for May 15, 2026, experts will convene online to discuss a promising solution: using sustainable, carbon-based additives to protect the world's infrastructure.
The Power of Green Chemistry
Mild steel is the backbone of modern infrastructure due to its low cost and durability. To prevent rust, this steel is typically coated with organic paints. However, many current coatings rely on toxic additives to remain effective.
Dr. Ren Chong Lim, an Assistant Professor at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), is leading research into sustainable alternatives. His work focuses on replacing these harmful chemicals with additives derived from renewable sources, such as nanocellulose.
"Carbon-based additives are ideal candidates that can replace existing toxic additives to improve coating performance," says Dr. Lim. "By looking toward renewable resources, we can develop coatings that are not only more effective at protecting steel but are also significantly better for the environment."
Advancing Technology and Commercialization
The forum will provide a deep dive into how these green materials are incorporated into organic coatings. Beyond the laboratory science, Dr. Lim will discuss the methods used to prove these coatings work, including advanced electrochemical techniques that test how well the steel resists environmental damage.
The discussion will also bridge the gap between academic research and real-world application. As a member of the ASEAN Technology Management Hub Taskforce, Dr. Lim brings a unique perspective on how to move these innovations from the lab to the marketplace.
The event is organized by the editorial offices of Carbon Research, Biochar, and Sustainable Carbon Materials. It serves as a vital platform for researchers, government agencies, and industry leaders to collaborate on the future of sustainable material science.
About the Speaker
Dr. Ren Chong Lim holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and serves as the Deputy Director of the Centre for Advanced Materials and Energy Sciences at UBD. His research spans corrosion protection, biomass processing, and patent data analytics.
Zoom Meeting ID:615 672 5359
Passcode: 123456
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About Biochar
Biochar (e-ISSN: 2524-7867) is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field.
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About Carbon Research
The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.
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