Very Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Spray Application Process for Iron Filled Elastomeric (IFE) Coatings

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase 1 project will demonstrate the feasibility of a new method for spraying high viscosity IFE MagRAM coatings. This new method of forming sprays uses very little VOC solvents (estimated to be 5% by weight orless), and has two distinguishing features: (1) The application of effervescent atomization for producing droplets independent of the fluid viscosity, and (2) a perforated aerator tube insert to control both the Sauter mean diameter (SMD, or D32) and thedistribution of drop sizes. These features allow for the reduction (elimination in certain applications) of VOC carrier liquids that are required with current conventional spray nozzles. The three key tasks of the Phase I project are: (1) to design and fabricate an effervescent atomizer to spray solids filled polymeric liquids with viscosities ranging up to 120 KU, (2) to evaluate the effervescent atomizer with coatings having a range of VOCs to assure that acceptable drop size and distribution performance is achieved with low concentrations of VOCs, and (3) to evaluate the spray performance and coating characteristics at low VOC concentrations. The anticipated primary result of the PhaseI project is the demonstration of successfully spraying high viscosity coatings using effervescent atomization.