Waterproofing Cargo Airdrop Equipment

To address the Armys need for reusable and low maintenance airdrop-related hardware when dropped into wet environments, San Diego Composites, Inc. (SDC) is developing a superhydrophobic, durable coating with rapid ambient heating for efficient moisture dissociation and self-cleaning. SDCs superhydrophobic abrasion-resistant coating (SHARC) can be applied retroactively to existing equipment or integrated within the production line of air drop components. SDC will utilize a homogeneously layered compacted powder suspended in a superhydrophobic polymer binder to create an abrasion resistant coating that provides the necessary durability for airdrop applications. Abrasion and disruption of the surface geometry will simply reveal another layer below with identical superhydrophobic properties to the previous surface. The coating will also have a high emissivity to aid in evaporation of any remnant moisture on the surfaces of all airdrop hardware, and act as a solid lubricant for contact features in mechanical hardware, such as the parachute release. This SHARC coating will give extensive protection over extended periods of time, drastically reducing maintenance and being applied at a low cost.