Abrasion-Resistant, Electrically Conductive Transparent Coatings for Polycarbonate

The objective of this Navy Phase II program is to optimize the electrical conductivity, uniformity, transmission, chemical and abrasion resistance of transparency coatings developed during Phase I. NanoSonic will collaborate with a leading Aeronautics corporation and transparency supplier to upscale and commercialize such coatings. Well defined monodisperse metal nanoparticles will self assembled to generate homogenous electrically conductive coatings on current aircraft transparencies (polycarbonate). Advantages of molecular self-assembly processing over current thin film coating techniques include precise control over thickness on substrates of all shapes and sizes, synthesis at room temperature and pressure, and the ability to functionally grade material properties through the coating thickness using a single fabrication procedure. NanoSonic will work with several universities to test the shielding, thermal and mechanical properties of the low observable hard coatings. Current prototypes offer electrical resistivity values of 0.1 to 1000 Ohm; and will be optimized to maximize transmission. Dense, self assembled films with transmission > 80% at visible wavelengths will be obtained by strategic control over the size and organization of NanoSonic's metal nanoparticles. An electrostatically dissipative weatherable layer will serve as the final step in the self assembly process to offer haze of < 3% and superior chemical resistance.