Smart coatings may change their structure or appearance when exposed to heat, humidity, mechanical stress or chemical changes such as corrosion. Some are even designed to react to microbial growth.

The scope of applications is broad. In 2011, researchers developed a spray-on antenna that, at a thickness of 8 microns or less, could give electronics wireless connectivity. In 2016, another group created a smart paint that reacts to the metal tip of specialized canes to help pedestrians with visual impairments navigate.

Self-Healing Capabilities

One of the most notable advantages of certain smart paints in industrial maintenance is their ability to repair themselves. In the automotive sector, self-healing clear coats have been in use for years. These coatings typically contain polymers that react to sunlight, releasing a resin that hardens quickly within the paint.

Manufacturers in other industries can also make use of similar solutions. While self-repairing paints cannot restore extensive mechanical damage, they can prevent scratches, chips and surface warping from developing into deeper structural issues. New developments have improved performance as well. A study in 2022 demonstrated a paint that was able to fully recover within just 30 seconds when exposed to heat.

Such coatings are particularly valuable for machinery operating in demanding conditions.

Color-Changing Smart Paint

Another category of smart coatings does not repair damage but reveals it more clearly. Coatings that respond to the chemical changes presented by corrosion are a common and advantageous example.

Severe rust is clearly visible to the naked eye, but this degradation is not always easy to see in its earliest stages. A rust-reacting paint can produce a more dramatic color difference, so technicians can recognize the need for repairs before structural damage occurs.

Smart paints may not offer the same in-depth analysis as an IoT maintenance sensor. They do make some amount of condition-based care possible, which leads to fewer breakdowns and avoids unnecessary repairs.

Anticorrosive and Antimicrobial Coatings

Some reactive coatings go a step further by slowing or stopping corrosion once it is detected. One example, adapted from a NASA-developed paint, releases anticorrosive agents when pH levels indicate rust.

Although it cannot completely prevent corrosion, this approach can cut maintenance costs by as much as 50 percent by limiting how far the damage spreads.

When combined with color-changing indicators, such coatings make repair work more efficient. Slowing corrosion until a technician can intervene is especially useful for smaller operators who may not always have maintenance staff available.
Antimicrobial coatings offer a comparable advantage. Using naturally antimicrobial substances such as silver strengthens the protective qualities of paint, preventing the growth or spread of bacteria, fungi or other contaminants. Semiconductor fabs and pharmaceutical production facilities will see the biggest improvements from this use case.

Electronics Protection

Many uses of smart paint act as alternatives to IoT- and AI-based maintenance, but the same technology can also complement these systems to improve their performance. Reactive coatings help safeguard sensitive electronic components, ensuring that advanced systems remain reliable.

Antimicrobial, dust-resistant and scratch-healing layers can keep sensors in good condition, preventing contamination that could interfere with measurements. By reducing these risks, smart coatings support higher data quality and consistency in IoT and AI applications such as predictive maintenance. With poor-quality data costing businesses millions each year, even small improvements in reliability can lead to major savings.

In other cases, facilities may apply smart paints to shield solar panel cells from sun damage or to react to heat in ways that boost efficiency. These adjustments can lower the long-term maintenance costs of renewable energy and help manufacturers reach their climate goals more easily.

Smart Paint Challenges

Smart coatings offer a wide range of applications in factory maintenance, but the technology is not without its limits. These paints can address only minor damage and cover a restricted set of operating concerns.

As such, smart paints can push facility maintenance investments further, but they cannot replace other innovations entirely. This may lead to high upfront costs, even if the coatings themselves are not expensive compared to IoT and AI technologies.

Many of the most disruptive smart coating applications are also in their early stages. More dramatic self-healing, damage prevention and reactive polymers have not seen extensive real-world testing, especially in their newer, more promising forms.

Smart Coatings Market

The economic potential of smart coatings is significant. Market researchers estimate that the global smart coatings industry was valued at $6.34 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $7.9 billion in 2025, reflecting an annual growth rate of roughly 25 percent. Longer-term projections suggest that the sector could even surpass $19 billion by 2029 if current trends continue. The

Asia-Pacific region was the largest segment of the smart coatings market in 2024 and is expected to be the fastest-growing region in terms of market share.

Key drivers include demand for corrosion protection, antimicrobial properties and self-healing materials. Industries such as automotive, aerospace, construction and energy are expected to lead adoption. In northern regions, anti-icing and de-icing nanocoatings are emerging as a growing niche.

Sources: American Coatings Association (ACA), The Business Research Company, revolutionized.com

Text: Vaula Aunola Photos: Shutterstock