SBIR Phase I: Scratch and Abrasion Resistant Superhydrophobic Polymer Coatings

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目致力于控制聚合物纳米复合材料表面的化学性质和形态结构，从纳米到宏观的尺度，以实现超疏水性和疏冰性，同时表现出耐刮擦性和耐磨性。 我们的目标是将这些知识应用于大面积制造超疏水和疏冰表面，并以低成本用于商业和国防应用。 纳米-微观-宏观尺度表面特征的材料设计将以实验和基于模型的分析为指导，以优化表面的润湿性和机械耐久性。 该项目对聚合物科学的贡献包括对聚合物结构、分子量和粘度之间的关系的基本理解，以及对具有特定结构的纳米复合材料的形成，以及对加工路线的优化，以实现所需的表面形态。对表面科学的贡献将包括对几种不同长度尺度的表面形态对液态水和过冷水滴润湿行为的影响的理解。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是改善食品处理设备的安全性，以及受结冰条件影响的户外基础设施的性能和可靠性，如体育场屋顶、风力涡轮机、飞机和海军结构。 用于清洗食物的设备可能会在保留水的区域滋生细菌。通过应用耐刮擦和耐磨的超疏水表面，安全性将得到显着提高，因为水在水库中的可能性将大大降低。 排斥过冷水的表面可以在户外使用，以防止冰层的形成和增加。通过这种方式，可以提高许多结构的安全性，因为可以避免冰积累的额外重量。 例如，这些表面可用于防止冰在飞机表面上的积聚。 避免相对少量的冰的积聚可以提供显著的安全裕度，因为结冰对气流模式的影响，而不是增加的重量，是与结冰有关的飞机事故的原因。表面的机械耐久性将确保超疏水性能即使在暴露于粗糙处理条件下也能保持多年。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project strives to control the chemical properties and the morphological structure of a polymer nano-composite surface, at scales ranging from nanometers to the macroscopic, to achieve superhydrophobic and icephobic properties while exhibiting scratch and abrasion resistance. The goal is to apply this knowledge to manufacture superhydrophobic and icephobic surfaces over large areas and at low cost for commercial and defense applications. Materials design of nano-micro-macro scale surface features will be guided by experimental and model-based analysis to optimize the wetting and mechanical durability of the surfaces. This project's contributions to polymer science would include a fundamental understanding of the relationship between polymer structure, molecular weight and viscosity on the formation of nanocomposite materials with a specific structure, as well as optimization of a processing route to achieve a desired surface morphology. Contributions to surface science would include an understanding of the impact of surface morphology over several different length scales on the wetting behavior of liquid water as well as super-cooled water droplets. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project would be improvements in the safety of food handling equipment, as well as the performance and reliability of outdoor infrastructure that is subject to icing conditions, such as stadium roofs, wind turbines, aircraft, and naval structures. Equipment used to wash food can harbor bacterial in areas that retain water. By applying a scratch- and abrasion-resistant superhydrophobic surface, safety would be significantly improved, as the potential for water to be harbored in reservoirs would be greatly reduced. Surfaces that repel super-cooled water could be used outdoors to prevent the formation and accretion of ice layers. In this way the safety of numerous structures could be improved, as the added weight of ice accumulation would be avoided. For example, these surfaces could be used to prevent the accumulation of ice on aircraft surfaces. Avoiding the build-up of relatively small amounts of ice can provide a significant margin of safety, because the impact of icing on airflow patterns, rather than the added weight, is the cause of icing-related aircraft accidents. The mechanical durability of the surface would insure that the superhydrophobic properties are retained for many years even when exposed to rough handling conditions.