SBIR Phase I: Renewable, transparent, superhydrophobic coatings for eye protection equipment.

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a highly transparent, highly water-resistant (so called superhydrophobic) surface coating material, which is a solution that can be directly applied by users onto eye protective equipment in no more than two steps. Importantly, the material can be removed and re-applied without damaging the surface. In this project, an optimal formulation of the solution will be determined. The effects of surface morphology, and coating methods (e.g. dipping vs. spraying) on water repellency, transparency, and adhesion to plastic substrates that are typically used for eye protective equipment, will be studied. It is anticipated that the resulting coating material will be robust against regular buffing but removable using an appropriate solvent if desired for reapplication. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide a simple and consumer-friendly coating that is both superhydrophobic and highly transparent for eye protective equipment, such as goggles, glasses, and eye shields. Potential follow-on applications include the coating of windshields, and other surfaces that also require a high degree of water resistance. Existing superhydrophobic coatings either are not very transparent, or require multiple application steps that are not user-friendly and could damage the surface being coated. Advances made through this project will have significant long-term safety and commercial impacts for consumer-applied superhydrophobic coatings.