UV-Curable, No VOC Aircraft Repair Spray-Coating

Foster-Miller proposes a new class of spray-applied, enviromentally-compliant/economical aircraft repair coatings that meets/exceeds the performance of original, solovent-based, two-part polyurethane (PUR) repair coating. Our enviromentally-compliant aircraft repair coating (ECARC) topcoat for Phase I will replace single-component PUR aerosol spray cans used for convience which produce coatings of lower durability than the orginal. When applied as a low-viscosity, one-component spray-coating it will not release VOCs or ozone-depleting propellants. Although UV curing for general painting of Aircraft is not considered desirable by the Air Force, its several advantagesare available for repair painting without the disadvantages. The toughness of a coating produced by UV-cure may eliminate the need for conversion and primer painting. A portable UV source can be used to cure the coating completely within the minutes into a tough, tenacious topcoat that will match the original coating in properties and appearance. The one-part system for topcoat will be storage stable and require no metering or mixing prior to application. In Phase I, we will develop the ECARC topcoat formulation, produce repair coating test panels and analyze test panels for key performance properties. Our team includes experts in UV-curable coatings, polyurethanes and an aircraft coating manufacturer.