DURESS; A Durable, Environmentally-Compliant Non-Skid Coating System for Naval Fleet Applications

Non-skid coating systems for various naval applications consist of a primer applied directly onto the deck substrate, a topcoat containing aggregate to generate the non-skid properties and an optional color topping. Current systems exhibit low durability, experience impact damage, are prone to delamination at every interface, and readily absorb naval and aviation chemicals on exposure, transforming the material into hazardous waste upon removal. Foster-Miller proposes to develop a o VOC overcome the limitations of current systems as well as meet or exceed performance specifications according to MIL-PRF-24997A. Our concept begins with a reactive primer to both chemically and mechanically bond to the deck, upon which another reactive topcoat system containing conventional aggregates is applied to chemically bond itself to the primer, forming a total coating system exhibiting superior delamination resistance. Our matrix material has been selected to be less brittle, more resilient and exhibit increased chemical resistance compared to current polyamide epoxies. These factors will combine to yield a coating system with enhanced performance and durability. Incorporation of the primer system into the topcoat, generating a one-part system, will be investigated in the Phase II program.