Researchers Will Use $5 Million Third Frontier Project Award to Develop Super Coatings for Lightweight, High-Performance Composites

The University of Dayton Research Institute today received one of five recommendations for funding through the Ohio Department of Development’s Engineering and Physical Science Research Commercialization Program. UDRI was recommended by the Ohio Third Frontier Commission to receive $5 million for the development and commercialization of coatings to improve the performance of lightweight polymer composites as the demand for such composites grows in industry. The Institute’s proposal was the only university-led proposal to be recommended for funding; the remaining four recipients comprise proposals led by Ohio businesses.

“The need for advanced composites is at an all time high, driven by applications in national defense, aerospace, wind turbine blades, off-shore oil drilling, sporting goods and various other fields and industries,” said Alex Morgan, group leader for advanced polymers at UDRI and program lead. “In addition, the rising price of oil and new corporate average fuel economy standards for fuel efficiency in automobiles further increases the demand for lightweight structural materials that can stand up to extreme environments. We propose to develop coatings that are actually integrated into lightweight composite structures, allowing them to survive longer in extreme temperatures and performance. These coatings will bring together the advantages of ceramics, polymers, metals and nanotechnology all into one application.”

UDRI’s collaborators include American Technical Coatings, the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices, Hartzell Propeller, Maverick Corp., NanoSperse LLC, North Coast Composites, Renegade Materials Corporation, the University of Akron, Vector Composites, GE Aviation, Goodrich Corporation and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The purpose of the Engineering and Physical Science Research Commercialization Program is to make Ohio a leader in creating new jobs and business opportunities by commercializing technology-based products. Projects must be targeted in the areas of advanced materials, power and propulsion, information technology, and instruments-controls-electronics.

June 26, 2008