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High
Performance Polymer Nanocomposites Specialty Coatings--NEI
Corporation, 201 Circle Drive, Suite 102/103, Piscataway, NJ
08854-3723; 732-868-1906, www.neicorporation.com
Dr.
Amit Singhal, Principal Investigator,
Dr.
Ganesh Skandan, Business Official,
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-03ER83726
Amount:
$749,989
The
properties of waterborne organic coatings for several demanding applications are
inadequate. By incorporating
nanoparticles in the matrix, the properties and performance of organic coatings
can be significantly improved in ways that had not been possible until now with
coarser micron and sub-micron size particles.
This project will develop waterborne polymer nanocomposite coatings that
not only will have significantly better properties (e.g., UV stability, abrasion
and mar resistance, and chemical resistance) than those of the base polymer, but
also will allow the properties to be
tailored to fulfill specific needs. In
Phase I, polymer nanocomposite coatings based on commercially used formulations
were synthesized. It was
demonstrated that the properties of polymer coatings can be greatly enhanced by
dispersing surface engineered nanoparticles.
In particular, the wear and solvent resistances increased significantly
with relatively low amounts of nanoparticles.
In conjunction with organic coating manufacturers and end-users, Phase II
will design and develop polymer nanocomposite coatings that ideally suit the
needs of specific applications. The
chemistry of polymer nanocomposite formulations will be optimized to achieve
coatings with the best performance. Additionally,
the synthesis process for producing gallon quantities of surface modified
nanoparticles in polymeric resins with reproducible properties will be scaled,
and prototype parts will be coated and tested.
Commercial
Applications and Other Benefits as
described by awardee: The new
high-performance polymer coatings should have immense potential in a wide range
of applications, including medical devices, automobile finishing, aircraft
transparencies, structural steel, fuel tanks, fabrics, and floors.
Because the polymer nanocomposite coating technology is for the most part
water-based, it should be environmentally benign.
As such, it can replace solvent-based coatings in several industrial and
special purpose applications.