External Drum Dynamometer Runway Texture Coating

The U.S. Air Force is interested in the development of a texture coating application method to produce simulated runway surface coatings that can survive on external drum dynamometers during aircraft tire/wheel/brake testing. Resodyn Corporation proposes the development of “pavement-like coatings” (PLC) suitable for Polymer Thermal Spray (PTS) deposition in order to address the U.S. Air Force’s need under consideration. The PLC textured material will be based on a thermoplastic polymer binder loaded with select aggregates of predetermined sizes and shapes. The PLC textured coating will exhibit microroughness and macroroughness coefficients similar to those characterizing traditional flexible runways and will be capable to strongly adhere to the surface of external drum steel flywheels. Due to the thermoplastic nature of the binder, the PLC material will be totally repairable and/or removable using the PTS process. The Phase I feasibility was demonstrated by successfully formulating and testing several thermally applied PLC material candidates, both in the presence and in the absence of a primer, and then selecting the best performing and most promising material candidate for Phase II developments. The strength of PLC candidates developed in Phase I far exceeded the strength of asphalt based pavements.