SBIR-STTR Award

This proposal is to develop a novel plasma coating technologies and diamond-like carbon (DLCs) coating materials for producing non-toxic hydrophobic coatings to improve the infrared obscurant performance of metal flakes and red phosphorous (RP) powder for which the coating does not impede the RP burning. DLC coatings are highly hydrophobic, chemically inert, transparent in the IR range, and bio-compatible, and they are amorphous carbon materials containing high sp3 carbon. NCD Technologies will innovate new plasma coating systems to coat the metal flakes and RP with DLC uniformly. Specific DLC materials will be explored to coat the nano-scale metal flakes, rods and RP powders, to reduce agglomeration and oxidation while maintaining infrared obscurant performance. The delamination of DLC coatings on RF are also thermal controllable to allow the DLC coatings to peel off before the RPs burning point, so that the coating does not impact burn rates or yield. This work will result in the supply of DLC coated metal flakes and RP to the ARMY for further evaluation leading to future adoption.

Phase I successfully developed novel plasma coating technologies and diamond-like carbon (DLCs) coatings for producing non-toxic hydrophobic coatings to improve the infrared obscurant performance of metal flakes and red phosphorous (RP) powder. The DLC coatings were shown to be highly hydrophobic, reduce agglomeration, prevent oxidation, reduce phosphine production, and not interfere with the burn rate. Phase II will continue with scaling production by creating a system to coat 100 lbs batches of DLC coated RP and metal flakes. Additional research will be conducted to further optimize the performance of the materials. We will further improve oxidation resistance and prevent phosphine production, to not only make the materials safer and improve performance, but significantly increase their shelf life. DLC coated metal flakes and RP will be supplied to the ARMY for further evaluation and testing. Phase II will bring us from laboratory testing to device in the field. A successful Phase II will result in scaled production capability so that NCD Technologies can meet the supply needs of the ARMY.