Date: Dec 28, 2005 Source: MDA (
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ntegument Technologies, Inc. (Tonawanda, NY), has developed a unique "peel- and-stick" appliqué that provides a cost-effective alternative to paint for corrosion protection. MDA funded this material technology to enhance the durability of vehicles and structures in warm, humid, and salty environments. Integument is demonstrating and marketing FluoroGrip®fluoropolymer-based products and services to potential military and commercial customers.
Technology Description:
The basic idea of an appliqué is that it closely resembles wall paper—thin, flexible material with an adhesive on one side that is used to bond to the surface being covered. The difference being that, unlike wallpaper, which just has an aesthetic purpose, Integument's material provides corrosion protection and can be engineered to provide other benefits as well.
Integument bases its appliqué on a family of plastics called fluoropolymers, which are highly regarded for their resistance to a wide variety of chemicals and temperatures up to 475 F as well as their environmental friendliness. Their nonstick surfaces (e.g., Teflon is a fluropolymer) also prevent filth and grime from building up, reducing cleaning and maintenance. Fluoropolymers can also be colored and have patterns created in them.
Integument uses a patented surface activation process with cold gas plasma treatment to modify the surface of the fluoropolymer and allow bonding with a pressure sensitive adhesive. This creates the technology's unique "peel-and-stick" capability, which can be used on a wide variety of materials including other polymers, adhesives, ceramics, coatings, composites, and metals. The appliqué offers superior mechanical, thermal, and chemical/environmental resistance properties to those of paints currently used in industry and the military. Additionally, its fabrication, application, maintenance, removal, and disposal do not harm the environment.
An appliqué system ranges in thickness from 1 to 30 mil, with most applications requiring thicknesses of 2 to 5 mil. The technology allows the creation of multilayered systems and various coatings and materials to be added to supply other functional characteristics such as:
• visual camouflage
• visual controlled emissivity and reflectivity
• visual antifouling resistance
• visual static dissipation
• visual wear and erosion protection
• visual dewatering and/or de-icing, and
• visual bonding interfaces.
The appliqué can also be integrated with a sensor to provide remote corrosion monitoring.
MDA Origins:
Integument's appliqué is being enhanced under MDA SBIR Phase I and II projects to develop embedded corrosion sensors for in-situ corrosion detection. Such devices would be ideal for use on MDA structures located in warm, humid, and salty enviornments like the South Pacific. The lead for the MDA SBIR projects, DACCO SCI, Inc., is providing the sensor technology that will be integrated into Integument's material. During its research, Integument succeeded in pigmenting the film to increase infrared reflectivity for thermal control. Integument applied its technology to the roofs of several Humvees at a MDA base in Kauai, Hawaii. The material significantly lowered the surface temperature of these vehicles, most of which are left out in the sunlight and get extremely hot.
Spinoff Applications:
The technology can be applied over a traditional paint in areas where paint/corrosion protection may be required. To this end, Integument has several ongoing programs within both the commercial sector and DOD to demonstrate these materials as superior corrosion protection alternatives to existing paint technologies. For example, with each coat of exterior paint, military aircraft gain a small amount of weight that can affect flight performance. Removing layers of paint is expensive. Aircraft must be moved to a special facility and sandblasted, creating the need for hazardous material containment. Integument's material could save substantial maintenance costs by reducing painting requirements, repair time compared to touch-up painting, and environmental containment costs. The technology could be similarly applied to military structures and vehicles like trucks and Humvees.
The technology also can be used as a preventative maintenance paint-repair patch. The inner hulls of double-hulled oil tankers are prime targets for corrosion. Integument's material has been used to spot patch these hulls, preserving them from further corrosion. This can be applied without the need for dry docking, saving more costs. Likewise, the ballast tanks of submarines have been protected from corrosion using this technology.
There are dozens of other potential uses. Integument is working with a Danish company to protect windmills from lightning strikes. The technology is suitable to protect graffiti-prone bridges and buildings. Because it is made with a nonstick fluoropolymer, paint can be easily washed off. The technology may be applied to boats and recreational watercraft for drag reduction. By extruding the material onto a textured roller, Integument can print a textured pattern on the surface. This creates a sort of "shark skin effect" with boundary layer effects that reduce drag. Integument reports that independent tests of the material on a personal watercraft increased top speed by 5 to 10 percent.
Commercialization:
According to Integument, corrosion-related costs in the United States are approximately $279 billion per year, with U.S. defense-related costs estimated at $20 billion of the total. The company believes it has superior corrosion resistant technology that not only is environmentally friendly, but easy to apply, maintain, and repair. An exciting possibility for the technology is that it allow multifunctional capabilities. On the competition front, the only other company with a similar product is 3M, but Integument is confident that their technology will prevail.
Integument currently has a licensing agreement with the Johns Hopkins School of Engineering. Under this agreement, the university can apply for government grants to conduct research related to the company's technology, and if any new products are created and licensed, the company will receive all royalties. In exchange, Integument retains ownership rights to any technological developments resulting from these programs.
Over the past decade, the company has received apporximately $6M in private investment. Three patents for this technology are owned by and licensed from the University of Buffalo. However, Integument has made substantial improvements to the original technology in recent years—leading to 7 new patented inventions with several others pending.
Company Profile:
Integument specializes in fluoropolymer-based films, laminates, and appliqués for corrosion protection. The private company was founded in 1995, and in 2005 it has approximately 12 full-time employees. It has extensive experience in specialty coatings for tank lining, mining, chemical processing, transportation, power, waste water treatment, pharmaceutical, food/beverage, pulp/paper, electronics, and architectural applications. Integument markets FluoroGrip® products and services.
Contact Information:
Terry Vargo
Integument Technologies, Inc.
70 Pearce Avenue
Tonawanda, NY 14150
Phone: 716-873-1199
Fax: 716-873-1303
email: tvargo@integument.com
web: www.integument.com
