Next Generation Military Coatings
Coatings are a critical element of the militaryÂ’s arsenal of chemical and biological warfare protective technologies. This article describes recent 2004 and 2005 advances in military coatings technology.
(PRWEB) June 5, 2005
The Marine Corps, in collaboration with the Office of Naval Research, is taking an aggressive role in sponsoring research to lay the foundation for highly advanced coatings that address several issues relating to the protection of vehicles and equipment, as well as environmental and health concerns. Specifically, Isotron® Corporation has carried out research under Navy-sponsored, innovative research contracts that are aimed at advancing 0-VOC, single pack Chemical Agent Resistant Coatings (CARC) and innovative camouflage coatings. These next generation of coatings will provide better camouflage concealment in various bandwidths of light (visual and IR), advanced protection from chemical warfare agents over the current CARC, and easier application with reduced hazards to the application personnel. These coatings will be essential in protecting and concealing equipment, weapons, and tactical vehicles in the Marine Corps future expeditionary missions and Operational Maneuver from the Sea (OMTFS).
During Desert Storm, the United States military sent thousands of vehicles and equipment to theater which needed repainting to change the woodland green to the desert camouflage colors. The military established painting operations in Saudi Arabia. These operations were reportedly limited in personal protection equipment, and it is reported that there was a failure to adhere to applicable safety and occupational health policies and procedures. Even still, some infantry units found it necessary to re-paint vehicles forward of these sites with relatively little protection. The materials used were hazardous to those in the process, as the current CARC is toxic before it fully dries.
In current generations of CARC, chemicals known as isocyanates are used in order to achieve the chemical resistance feature as well as the toughness and durability service requirements. However, isocyanates are known to cause problems in the respiratory system and are harsh skin and mucous membrane sensitizers. There is a cause for alarm in the adverse health effects relating to exposure to hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) associated with the traditional CARC coatings. The primary health concerns associated with the CARC involves the inhalation of airborne droplets containing HDI, released during spray application. Systemic effect studies have determined that inhalation exposure can cause asthma, shortness of breath and other respiratory distress effects. It is for this reason that the safe handling of isocyanate materials requires that the persons exposed to these vapors be protected with air supplied respirators, and protective suits that assure that the uncured coating cannot be inhaled or contact the skin. However, this is hardly practical in an expeditionary role where the Theater of Operation could change in the course of a few days.
The Marine Corps is sponsoring technology which would all together eliminate the use of VOCÂ’s in coatings. Also, this replacement for the CARC coating would incorporate a design approach that eliminates the need for isocyanates in the coating composition, yet meets or exceeds requirements for durability and resistance to chemical warfare agents. Finally, unlike the standard CARC coating materials which required mixing of two components, this new generation of materials will be easier to handle in the field since these new features have been provided in the form of a single package of material. These are major technological advancements as they not only dramatically decrease hazards to personnel, but also provide an extremely environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional polymer coatings. This reduces the need for the personal protective measures associated with CARC, and provides a much quicker and more flexible means for application of new paint schemes.
The design of innovative coatings being sponsored by the Marine Corps, however, goes much further than this. In addition to ease of application and low toxicity, the new coatings under development now will dramatically increase the stealth, lethality, and survivability of the vehicles, equipment, and the Marines that use them. The new coatings, along with a field-applicable system, will allow the new MARPAT design to be extended to vehicles. This design has been proven in tests to significantly reduce the Time to Identification (TTI) when applied to tracked vehicles.
The MARPAT coating that is in development should be removable and will be designed for application over the CARC. Such a feature will allow for rapid field application of the camouflage scheme, without contributing the weight burden of multiple change-of-theatre coating applications. The objective of this integrated system is to significantly reduce the detectability, and hence the vulnerability of Marine Corps vehicles and shelters, while simultaneously providing a weight conserving, “on-the-fly” ability to adapt the camouflage scheme to the environment.
Coatings are a critical element of the military’s arsenal of chemical and biological warfare protective technologies. Currently, the key feature of CARC topcoats, which are used to protect vehicles and equipment, is that they do not absorb chemical warfare agents, and can be decontaminated using Decontamination Solution #2 (DS-2). An advanced nanoparticle technology relating to chemical agent defense has already been proven to neutralize VX, GD and HD chemical agents. This particular material has the potential to render a coating “Self-Decontaminating,” as any agent that should come into contact with the paint would be neutralized, allowing Marines to continue the mission without having to stop to decontaminate equipment. This is one technology development avenue that is being considered by the Marine Corp’s Single Pack, 0-VOC research program.
The objectives of these research efforts are coatings that increase safety, flexibility, and lethality in an expeditionary environment. These next-generation coatings will require minimal time and equipment to apply, and could possibly be done on-ship. Add that to the stealth they provide and protection from chemical warfare threats and the Marine Corps has an innovative coating that truly increases its ability to accomplish the mission.
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