Rapid Visible Cure Illuminator for Ship Surface Protective Coating

Visible light curing polymers, a dynamic technology with new applications that are continually being developed, can provide an alternate solution to the current rapid cure method for ship surface coating, which uses corrosion resistant multicomponent resins. Corporate and government entities are looking for faster speed, improved coating performance, and compliance with environmental and personnel safety requirements. Under the U.S. Navy’s SBIR program, Spectra Group Limited demonstrated acrylate formulations as repair paints, for use in ballast tanks, to replace or augment the current two-part epoxy polymers. This coating can be cured with 360 470 nm visible light. This curing system, which is based on a xenon source, is bulky, heavy, and inefficient, and does not satisfy U.S. Navy requirements for in-field use. IOS proposes to develop a high efficiency curing system that is based on a broadband LED cluster. The device will operate in the specified spectral range, produce a higher level of irradiance, and provide the immediate cure (<30 seconds) of coatings, even on 3-D structures; it will incorporate additional features such as modular design, a paint dispenser with a rolling brush, cure and process control, and remote operation from distances over 100 feet from the power supply.BENEFITS: The first and foremost beneficiary of the proposed research will be the U.S. Navy, which will receive a portable, lightweight tool for repair coatings on any 3D surface of the ship, at sea or in port. In addition to benefiting the Navy, this device will be important to digital printing; the flexible modular design provides adjustability to different types of printers. Some other curing applications to which this device will be valuable include: Protective coatings and adhesive CDs and DVDs in a production line, Microelectronics, Industrial protective coatings, Ink and wood coatings, especially for flexible packaging, and Wooden flooring, which is rising in popularity in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.