E. Iezzi
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory,
United States
Keywords: organsilane, topcoat, isocyanate-free, single-component
Summary:
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has recently developed and patented novel organosilane polymers and pigmented topcoats thereof. These topcoats demonstrate similar thermal and mechanical properties, hydrocarbon resistance, and durability to sunlight as polyurethane coatings, yet they do not containing hazardous isocyanate-functional molecules. The organosilane polymers are synthesized in a variety of polar and aromatic solvents to provide low viscosity solutions, thus enabling the generation of topcoats that are free of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and contain low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These polymers have been used to formulate single-component (1K) (i.e., all-in-one-can) topcoats for the exterior of Department of Defense (DoD) assets, such as Navy aircraft and ground support equipment (GSE), yet the technology is applicable to a variety of commercial markets where high-performance topcoats are required.