For decades, iron and steel have been two of the most important materials in our daily lives due to their good mechanical properties, availability and relatively reasonable cost. However, iron does not exist in nature as iron, but as a compound such as iron oxide. In order to get a usable material, these compounds must be refined and processed from their natural state. The conversion process (reduction, eq. 6.1) of iron from iron ore is undertaken by heating, therefore providing energy, with carbon under careful control, in order to prevent the reverse reaction. 2Fe 2 O 3 + 3C → 4Fe + 3CO 2 (6.1)According to the second law of thermodynamics [1, 2], there is a strong tendency for the system to move from order to disorder: its energy tends to be transformed from high energy states into lower levels energy states available, in order to reach the state of complete randomness and be unavailable for further work. Corrosion occurs due to this tendency of metals to recombine with components of the environment to reach its low energy state. In the case of iron, the metal tends to be oxidized into a reddish oxide, commonly known as rust, leading to a gradual destruction or deterioration of the metal [3-7]. All metals, with a few exceptions such as gold and silver, show this natural tendency to return to their lower energy state to form oxide and hydrate and therefore are prone to corrosion. Corrosion degradation is one of the main reasons for large industrial losses. One of the most suitable methods to protect metal for the external environment is the application of coatings on the metal's surface. Coatings are designed to protect the metal by physically isolating and preventing the diffusion of aggressive species towards the metal surface. However, coatings are prone to degrade, either because of the long exposure time -processes commonly known as weathering and ageing (e.g. moisture, UV radiation, thermo-oxidation, etc.) -or mechanical factors (e.g. damage due to impacts, scratches, defects, etc.). These chemical and mechanical degradation processes will eventually lead to the formation of microcracks and premature failure of the coating system. When the coating fails, the corrosion of the substrate is greatly accelerated. Repairs and maintenance of failed coatings are well-known to be both expensive and time consuming. Therefore, an active protection in addition to the time-limited passive protection is required. In order to prolong the service life of the metallic structures, scientists have developed a new class of intelligent polymeric coatings able to fully or partially regenerate their structural integrity resulting from external damage, without the help of any external Unauthenticated Download Date | 6/22/16 4:26 PM