Military topcoats are critical for protecting Department of Defense (DoD) assets, including ground vehicles, aircraft, and weapons systems. The objective of this project is to assess the feasibility of polysilazanes as military topcoat replacements as an alternative to polyurethane-based coatings that contain unreacted isocyanates. 

In this project, TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) will develop modified polysilazane formulations that have the potential to meet the requirements for military and industrial topcoats. A critical issue with current polysilazane coatings is their slow cure speed (up to seven days): for widespread use this must be accelerated to 24 hours or less. TDA will explore several strategies for increasing cure speed, including several types of catalysts as well as chemical modification of the polysilazane. Once suitable formulations have been identified, the polysilazane coatings will be mixed and applied to aluminum substrates. The key properties of the coatings will be measured, including adhesion, flexibility, chemical resistance, and durability; this testing will occur at TDA and at the Naval Research Laboratory. 

The goal of this project is to assess the suitability of polysilazanes for use as military or industrial topcoats. This limited scope project will generate initial formulation and property data that can be used to guide further development of these coatings. The adoption of rapid cure polysilazane topcoats will reduce the safety risks for DoD personnel that are responsible for applying these coatings. Equally important, improved coating performance (e.g., improved weatherability or corrosion protection) will decrease maintenance costs and provide better protection for DoD assets.