I-Corps: Tri-Cure Hybrid Organo-Silicon Coatings for Surface Preservation

Award ID: 2327701

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of coatings for preservation, architecture, masonry, marine, aerospace, and automotive industries. Currently employed protective coatings often have long curing times leading to debris contamination, and typically have a short pot life. The proposed technology is designed to provide more rapid curing as well as storage as a one-pot solution for over one year with repeated usage. There is a need to preserve and protect bronze plaques and lithography on headstones. In addition, anti-fouling capabilities are of interest in the protective and marine coatings industries. For architecture and masonry, the proposed technology may prevent and/or reduce environmental effects on surfaces and provide flame resistance for wooden structures ensuring future generations will have access to these cultural experiences. For the marine industry, the proposed coating may increase fuel efficiency by reducing adhesion and transport of invasive marine organisms, and its graffiti resistance may limit offensive content and decrease maintenance needs. This I-Corps project is based on the development of silicon-based, tri-cure coating technology. The proposed technology uses three distinct curing methodologies to undergo a rapid (30-minute) non-impressionable surface upon exposure to UV light (lamp or sun) that is quickly followed by secondary and tertiary cures that occur more slowly, enhancing adhesion and stability. Test results show that upon application, sunlight produces a non-sticky surface within 30 minutes, with complete protection within 24 hours that lasts more than 2 years using a single coat. In addition, the stability of the base coating solution and its recyclability reduce wasted resources. The proposed coating has been found to provide these characteristics to a treated surface: hydrophobicity, flame resistance and self-extinguishing, efflorescence and oxidation resistance, fungal and Mollusca growth/attachment resistance, microbial inhibition, anti-graffiti, and photo, thermal, and chemical stability. It also has been shown to adhere strongly to most surfaces, is non-toxic, comes in a single container, requires no mixing, is stable for multiple years, and may be applied by dipping, spraying, or wiping on numerous surfaces. This may offer a highly versatile coating to expand preservation methods. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman