Advanced Nonskid Coating System for Mobile Airfield Landing Mats Navy SBIR FY2004.3 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2004.3 Topic No.: N04-240 Topic Title: Advanced Nonskid Coating System for Mobile Airfield Landing Mats Proposal No.: N043-240-0 Firm: Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc. 9063 Bee Caves Road Austin, Texas 78733-6201 Contact: George Hansen Phone: (512) 263-2101 Web Site: www.tri-austin.com Abstract: The Marine Corps AM2 mat is a key component to the Marine Corps Expeditionary Airfield concept. These mats are robust and able to withstand tailhook impact and the landing loads imposed by aircraft even when installed over marginal soil conditions. The current coating needs frequent replacement due to wear or breakdown from the environment. Very importantly, the coating is required to withstand continued VTOL jet blast, which can sustain temperatures near 800 �F and occasionally spike to 1000 �F (for 0.2 second). This proposal summarizes work to be performed in the adaptation, testing and evaluation of TRI's Tough Grip� nonskid coating to Marine landing strip use. This new non-skid coating, developed for aircraft carrier flight decks contains no added volatile organic compounds or other materials restricted by military environmental requirements, it is highly flame and impact resistant and has survived over 13,000 landings in battlefield conditions. A selected sample of modifications to this product will increase its tolerance to the conditions of VTOL engine exhaust. Benefits: Non-skid is utilized extensively in Navy applications worldwide. It is also found in many industrial and virtually all marine industrial settings. In most of these its function is to reduce accidents and personnel injury. Industrial maintenance downtime equates to reduced production and potentially lost sales. For the U.S. and Allied Navies, this means reduced flexibility and readiness. Both sectors could benefit from a high durability, heat and corrosion resistant non-skid that can be applied with standard equipment, be ready for foot and vehicle traffic within 24 hours, and tolerate extended heat exposure. That this can be achieved without significant loss of performance, indeed even potentially enhanced performance, means that the product proposed for development has the potential to obtain wide commercial sales (metal & chemical processing industry, ship decks, missile launch pads, off shore platforms), eroding much of the traditional non-skid market, where frequent maintenance replacement is required. Return