Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for CoatingsResearch

涂料领域对这个国家具有非常高的经济重要性，众所周知，需要通过这一领域的研究来增加科学知识基础。尽管涂料技术正在从一门艺术发展为一门科学，但今天的涂料开发仍然是通过经验方法完成的。涂料技术人员较少依赖牢固的科学原理，而更多地依赖于他/她自己对涂料实际性能的判断和/或数据库信息。数据库可能庞大而复杂，但它是经验性的。经验方法取得了缓慢而稳定的进展，但突破和创新却很少。考虑到世界市场的竞争，以及寻找无污染涂料的压力，一个针对涂料科学研究的中心是非常可取的。建立一个用于涂料研究的工业/大学合作研究中心（I/UCRC）是解决这一问题的理想部分。东密歇根大学提议成立一个I/UCRC用于涂料研究，以突破涂料技术的极限。该奖项启动了I/UCRC在东密歇根大学的涂料研究。初期的研究将集中在减少VOC、防腐、交联、薄膜机械性能和水性涂料等领域。涂料研究中心拥有优秀的研究仪器和设施，由密歇根州拨款近100万美元。八家公司和密歇根州已经同意每年提供3万美元来支持这项研究。项目经理建议东密歇根每年获得5万美元，为期5年。在每个12个月的期末，项目经理和/或工程中心部门主任将根据以下标准审查中心的进展情况：(1)大学与行业的互动和合作正在发展的程度；(2)支持基础扩大的程度；(3)一个强有力的研究项目正在发展的程度。如果审查是令人满意的，项目经理将建议支持这个持续拨款的下一个时期。

The area of coating is of very high economic importance to this country and the need to increase the scientific knowledge base through research in this field is well known. Although coatings technology is evolving from an art to a science, much of today's coatings development is still done by empirical methods. The coating technologist relies less on firmly based scientific principles and more on his/her own judgement and/or data base of information of actual performance of coatings in the field. The data base may be large and sophisticated, but it is empirical. Empirical methods have yielded slow, steady progress but breakthroughs and innovations have been rare. Given the competitiveness of the world market, and the pressures to find pollution free coatings, a center directed toward scientific studies of coating is highly desirable. The establishment of a Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) for Coatings Research is an ideal part of the solution of the problem. Eastern Michigan University proposes to form an I/UCRC for Coatings Research to attack the limits of coating technology. This award initiates an I/UCRC on Coatings Research at Eastern Michigan University. The initial research will focus in the areas of VOC reduction, corrosion protection, cross-linking, film mechanical properties and water-borne coatings. The Coatings Research Center has excellent research instrumentation and facilities, provided by grants from the State of Michigan of almost $1,000,000. Eight companies and the State of Michigan have agreed to provide $30,000 per year to support this research. The Program Manager recommends that Eastern Michigan be awarded $50,000 per year for a five year continuing grant. Near the end of each 12 month period the program manager and/or the Director of the Engineering Centers Division will review the progress of the center on a number of criteria, including the following: (1) the extent to which the university-industry interaction and collaboration is developing; (2) The extent to which the support base is expanding; (3) the extent to which a robust research program is developing. If the review is satisfactory, the program manager will recommend support of the next period of this continuing grant.