Low-Permeability Coating for Nitrile Rubber Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2008.1 Topic No.: N08-042 Topic Title: Low-Permeability Coating for Nitrile Rubber Proposal No.: N081-042-1006 Firm: METSS Corporation 300 Westdale Avenue Westerville, Ohio 43082-8962 Contact: Donald Bigg Phone: (614) 797-2200 Web Site: www.metss.com Abstract: The TOMAHAWK Capsule Launching System (CLS) is being leveraged for integration of the littoral Warfare Weapon (LWW) on SSGN and SSN 688I/Virginia Class Vertical Launch System capable platforms. The CLS includes a nylon fabric reinforced nitrile rubber fly-through cover. During stowage of the capsule in the submarine, the fly-through cover can be exposed to seawater. The fly-through cover must seal the capsule interior, which houses a missile, from the external environment. Since the nitrile rubber is permeable, and the humidity inside the capsule must be maintained below a certain threshold, a Mylarr-tin foil-Mylarr low permeability barrier must be installed over the nitrile rubber cover. The Mylarr-tin foil-Mylarr barriers are expensive, easily damaged, and present potential debris concerns after missile launch. METSS intends to replace this barrier by adding sufficient moisture barrier protection directly to the nitrile rubber fly-through cover. This will be done through the addition of a high moisture barrier polymer composition, most likely in the form of a tightly bound coating applied directly to the nitrile rubber cover. Moreover, METSS will formulate the moisture barrier layer so that it will have acceptable life when operating in a seawater environment. Benefits: The efforts pursued under this SBIR program will impact both DoD and commercial markets. Direct application exists in a wide range of commercial markets, including moisture sensitive medical devices, corrosion preventive coatings, solar arrays, organic light emitting diode displays, medical devices, and computer boards operating in harsh environment coatings. Commercial coating markets for corrosion protection face the dilemma of the phase-out of hexavalent chromium corrosion inhibitors. Consequently, any advances in moisture barrier coatings has widespread appeal, as moisture permeation is a key element associated with the development of corrosion. Corrosion is a major national problem and METSS has been very active in the area of corrosion inhibition. Return