Retention and Repellency in Coating Technologies

Current chemical and biological agent resistant coatings fail to provide desired levels of contamination prevention, with penetration of threats into the coatings and, often, incomplete removal of those threats following decontamination. Published work on self-cleaning, anti-fog, anti-ice, and anti-fouling coatings largely focuses on controlling wetting behaviors, often achieving this control through harnessing the lotus leaf effect. Previously, work focused on reduction of retention has been based on the assumption that a lack of interactions with the surface will lead to reduced retention of chemical targets. Recent work, however, demonstrates a lack of correlation between wetting and retention. Penetration of water into corrosion-resistant coatings provides the basis for the initial approaches to be taken under the proposed effort. The effort will assess fundamental aspects of polymer surfaces including the physical and chemical properties that drive the relevant phenomena. Improving coating or thin film performance, especially with respect to reduced chemical retention, would decrease the logistical burden associated with decontamination of equipment and may offer broader application in the development of other chemical and biological protective technologies.