AIR Option 1: Technology Translation - High-Throughput Roll-to-Roll Atmospheric Pressure Atomic Layer Deposition for Functional Nanocoatings on Porous and Flexible Materials

这个PFI：空气技术翻译项目专注于将原子层沉积技术(ALD)转化为在包括无纺布纤维垫和纺织品在内的多孔性衬底上创建防紫外线薄膜。户外防护结构、建筑或装饰元素以及建筑中使用的材料受到阳光或其他严酷照射下降解的限制。ALD技术是在具有复杂几何形状的聚合物纤维上创建超薄和超保形涂层的独特方法。这些涂层具有保护底层聚合物免受太阳或其他光源紫外线照射的能力。这种涂料可以与相对昂贵的溶液染色丙烯酸材料竞争，后者目前主导着户外纺织品市场。除了目前使用的材料基材外，该涂层还可以与多种材料基材一起使用。技术的实施需要对工艺规模和反应堆设计挑战有新的认识。为了实现这一目标，该项目探索了一种独特的“直流式”反应堆设计原型，从而形成了一辆用于评估材料和工艺生产能力以满足市场需求的示范车辆。该项目邀请VaporPulse Technologies在纤维涂层领域提供指导，并提供项目商业化和营销方面的专业知识，因为它们与将科学/技术转化为可能导致竞争性商业现实的道路的潜力有关。这项技术可能会产生远远超出紫外线防护的商业影响。其他可以从改进的涂层中受益的纤维系统包括过滤和分离介质、个人防护设备、电子和医用纺织品，或者军事人员使用的工程纤维或织物。从长远来看，拥有在恶劣和多变的室外条件下以较低的成本提供更长时间和可靠运行的材料和产品将使社会受益。这项工作还将产生长期影响，扩大对薄膜反应科学和工程的基础理解，对未来许多其他领域产生影响。该项目还将帮助一名化学工程博士生学习从实验室到小企业的技术转换的挑战，使这些技能在未来得到扩展和传承。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating atomic layer deposition technology (ALD) to create UV protective thin films onto porous substrates, including nonwoven fiber mats and textiles. Materials used in outdoor protective structures, architectural or decorative elements, and construction are limited by degradation in sunlight or other harsh exposure. The ALD technology is a unique approach to create ultra-thin and ultra-conformal coating layers onto polymer fibers with complex geometries. These coatings have the capacity to protect the underlying polymer from damaging ultraviolet exposure from the sun or other light sources. The coatings can compete with relatively expensive solution-dyed acrylic materials that now dominate the outdoor textile market. The coating can work with a range of material substrates beyond those currently used. Technology implementation requires new knowledge of process scaling and reactor design challenges. The project accomplishes this goal by exploring a unique "flow-through" reactor design prototype resulting in a demonstration vehicle to evaluate materials and process throughput capabilities to meet market demands. The project engages VaporPulse Technologies to provide guidance in the field of coatings on fibers as well as expertise in project commercialization and marketing as they pertain to the potential to translate the science/technology along a path that may result in a competitive commercial reality. The technology could have commercial impact well beyond UV protection. Other fiber systems that can benefit from improved coatings include filtration and separations media, personal protective equipment, electronic and medical textiles, or engineered fibers or fabrics for military personnel. In the long term, society will benefit by having materials and products that provide safe and reliable operation under harsh and variable outdoor conditions for longer times at lower cost. The work will also have long-term impact by expanding foundational understanding of thin film reaction science and engineering with impact in many other future fields. This project will also help educate a PhD student in Chemical Engineering to learn the challenges of technology translation from a lab to a small business, allowing those skills to be expanded and passed on in the future.