High-Temperature, Abrasion-Resistant Coating

Fighter aircraft such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) must fly with precision and reliability, especially in extreme environments. In order to perform missions effectively and economically, the JSF aircraft has many moving parts that are subject to high wear conditions across large temperature and load ranges. Coatings are often used to protect composite surfaces that are located on the outside of the aircraft. Although these coatings are easy to apply, they are generally thin and do not perform above 350ºF (177ºC) without degradation in performance. Advanced wear-resistant coatings that operate at elevated temperature are needed for today’s fighter aircraft. The technical innovation being proposed is the development of a BMI or polyimide coating that will offer high-temperature stability and wear resistance for use in F-35 JSF applications. The research effort will progress from chemical screening and cure cycle optimization of the base coatings, to nano-modifications of the coating, followed by extensive abrasion and TOS testing. A large amount of chemical and physical characterization testing is planned to provide a thorough assessment of each coating. The wear and thermal performance, processing characteristics, and cost benefits for each coating will be determined and compared to the baseline.