Development of Materials and Sensors for the U.S. Army's Active Coatings Technology Program

摘要

In our ever-changing world, there is a need for materials that can thrive and survive in an almost infinite variety of environments. Most materials are designed to operate in predetermined conditions. Such materials are passive and unable to change based on its surroundings. With advances in chemistry, physics, engineering, and other related sciences these passive materials and coatings can and will have the ability to react and respond to their surroundings in real-time. These materials, composites, and coatings are actual systems with numerous components or layers integrated together to combine functionality and capabilities, limited only by the current state of the technologies of which they are comprised. The Army must transform into a lighter yet more lethal "objective force", all while fighting wars in the Middle East. New technologies and materials are needed to achieve the transition. Its new platforms must be deployable, be 70% lighter and 50% smaller than current armored combat systems, while maintaining equivalent lethality and survivability [1]. To meet the lighter yet more lethal requirements of the Future Combat Systems, our scientists and engineers need to capitalize on new technologies and breakthroughs in the scientific arena. Novel technologies such as nanotechnology, MEMS, meta-materials, flexible electronics, electrochromics, electroluminescence, etc. are key components in the development of active and reactive materials for the Army. The ability to custom build and integrate novel technologies into functionalized systems is the driving force towards the creation and advancement of active coatings systems. Active coating systems require the development and advancement of numerous technologies across various energy domains (e.g. electrical, mechanical, chemical, optical, biological, etc.). The U.S. Army is attempting to take these technologies and implement them into an active coatings system though the Active Coatings Technologies Program, thus creating the next generation of coating systems. These technologies give one the ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new molecular organization and yield advanced materials that will allow for longer service life and lower failure rates. The main goal of the ACT Program is to conduct research leading to the development of active materials and coatings systems for use on various military platforms, incorporating unique properties such as self repair, selective removal, corrosion resistance, sensing, ability to modify coatings' physical properties, colorizing, and alerting logistics staff when weapon systems require more extensive repair. The U.S. Army Corrosion Office has assembled a team including university support as well as other military and industry representatives. This team is developing multilayered, modular active coatings with numerous functionalities such as self-repair, visual display, artificial intelligence, self-management, sensing package, and corrosion inhibitors, that can be customized as needed.