Fire-resistant, Spray-on Elastomers for Blast Protection Coatings

The development of spray-on, fire-resistant coatings to minimize blast damage and contain fragmentation products from accidental or deliberate shipboard explosions is proposed. The coatings are based on elastomeric polymers containing toughening and fire-retardant additives. In Phase I, several polymer systems will be evaluated with the objective of down-selecting to a coating suitable for scale-up in a Phase II effort. The relative performance of the coatings will be evaluated by ballistic testing (MIL-STD-662F) and by fire retardant and thermal properties measurements using Intermediate Scale Calorimetry (ICAL) ASTM E 1623-01 and ASTM 162-02a flame spread measurements. For these measurements, the coatings will be applied to 3/8" thick DH36 steel plate which is extensively used for internal bulkheads on vessels such as the DDG 51. A Phase I Option for the development of a 100% solids spray-on formulation is also proposed. The Phase II effort would address the refinement of polymer and additive chemistries to optimize blast protection and fire retardant properties, scale-up to large-area coatings, color options and coating repair.