Performance Assessment of Carbon Nanotube Containing Coatings and Sealants

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) has become a major concern in military applications, as EMI interference reduces the lifetime and efficiency of instrumentation and telecommunication equipment. Luna meets the need to develop conductive coatings and sealants to attain the EMI shielding needs for military vehicles, weapons, and equipment. Coatings which possess both EMI shielding as well as prevent corrosion and material degradation in adverse environments are critical to reducing equipment downtime due to maintenance. Owing to their high conductivity, small size, and large aspect ratio, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have the unique ability to achieve high levels of conductivity at low loadings thus preventing deterioration of other required coating properties. Luna has developed a comprehensive program to include highly conductive SWCNT into selected coating formulations, and to develop a transition plan toward military and commercial protective coating applications.