Development of a Fire-Resistant, Thermal Barrier Coating with Low-Temperature Flexibility

Advanced Materials and Processes (AMP) can deliver a Thermal Barrier Coating (TBC) with low temperature flexibility. This is possible because of a major breakthrough in hollow clay nanotube technology. Halloysite nanotubes (HNT™) have been shown to increase coating flexibility an order of magnitude by reinforcing the binder at the nanolevel. HNT have been filled with liquid flame retardant (FR) phosphates, which impart FR properties to polymers without deteriorating physical properties by plasticization. This novel FR system, with a unique combination of properties, will allow AMP to deliver high performance TBC coatings with low temperature flexibility, traditional corrosion resistance, good appearance, and ease of application. The innovative new TBC will be comprised of: • A commercial polyurethane hybrid binder from Scorpion Protective Coatings optimized for low temperature flexibility • Halloysite hollow clay nanotubes filled with liquid FR additives from NaturalNano. • Polysilazane ceramic precursor polymers from KiON® Specialty Polymers. • Polyurethane plasticizers from Shell Chemical Company. • Insulating hollow ceramic beads from Hy-Tech. (A NASA Spin Off 2003)