Electrically conductive aircraft transparency materials via Innlay surface-embedding

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposal to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Navy, requests funding for Innova Dynamics, Inc. to enable innovative manufacturing of robust, non-delaminating, highly conductive aircraft transparency materials through Innlay surface-embedding of military-spec polycarbonate and acrylic. The proposal addresses known challenges with existing conductive aircraft transparency technologies, such as the problematic issue of coating delamination, leading to negative optical properties and high repair and replacement costs, as well problems associated with under-performing conductive transparency materials, such as inadequate charge dissipation and inadequate electromagnetic interference shielding. The primary innovation of the current proposal is to use Inlay surface-embedding to develop an inherently conductive aircraft transparency based on currently qualified transparency structural materials wherein the conductive properties are"built-in"through Innlay as opposed to applied via coatings to overcome the above challenges. Sheet resistance of 80% are expected, along with optical and mechanical properties meeting appropriate military specifications.