Smart Ultrahydrophobic Surface for Protecting Aircraft Components (SUSPAC)

The goal of the proposed research is to demonstrate feasibility of deployable ultrahydrophic polymer thin film coatings on existing aircraft structures to halt and prevent corrosion as well as integration of these coatings into future adaptive aircraft. This protective thin film technology presented can be transferred to ground vehicle coatings and uniform skins; however, NextGen Aeronautics will initially focus on protection of susceptible aircraft components. The thin film coating is unique in that it offers the advantages of integrated micro/nano-fabricated surface structures; unique liquid droplet-directing aspects of these surfaces act to draw corrosive liquids away from critical aircraft components. Not only can surfaces be made to repel water, but preferential wetting can be designed into the surface to direct flow. Although there are several groups worldwide engaged in micro/nano-fabrication of ultrahydrophobic surfaces, these efforts have been limited to traditional expensive MEMS fabrication techniques and areas less than a few inches square. Georgia Tech offers the unique capability of providing a novel embossing-based micro-manufacturing technique scalable to airplane-wing sizes and equates to roughly 1/1000 the cost of other micro-fabrication techniques. Also, because the approach does not require a flat, rigid substrate, the surface treatment can be generalized for virtually any material contour.