BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI - Ecology Coatings, Inc. has applied for a $2 million, fiscal-year 2009 Department of Defense (DOD) appropriation to conduct lifecycle testing on tactical vehicles at various locations and in varied weather conditions across the United States.

 

Tactical vehicles that serve the U.S. Army and Marine Corps have significant problems with corrosion. According to a recent DOD report, the total annual corrosion cost for the Army's ground vehicles is estimated to be at least $2 billion, and may be as high as $20 billion, throughout all the armed forces. The effects of corrosion on DOD vehicles have become more important as funding for the purchase of new equipment is reduced and more reliance is placed on aging equipment and infrastructure. The corrosion on some vehicles is so extensive that the repair costs equal 65 percent of the average cost of a new vehicle. Some vehicles are being scrapped in as few as five years, well short of their expected 15-year service life.

 

"We recently launched our energy-efficient cleantech family of EcoQuik™ coatings and are confident that our nano-enabled EcoQuik pigmented coating formulation, which contains no organic or chemical solvents, will be a successful barrier against corrosion of the Army's vehicle fleets," noted Ecology Coatings Chairman and CEO Richard D. Stromback. "Most conventional coatings, which use chemical solvents or other liquids to enable blending and sprayability, are the primary catalyst for corrosion, flash rusting and film build degradation on metals.

 

"In addition to preventing corrosion, our EcoQuik pigmented coating formulations, through the integration of nanomaterials, bonds to a wide variety of substrates, which include metal, aluminum, titanium and steel, and bestows high hardness and flexibility along with impact and abrasion resistance," added Stromback.

 

Ecology Coatings proposes to work with the NAC and TARDEC (the Army Material Command) researchers to conduct lifecycle testing for a period of 18 months. Potential vehicles for the pilot include HMMWVs, FMTVs or the Hemmit. Issues such as wear, resistance and the associated cost implications will be addressed. Upon successful completion of the project, the company expects to have its proprietary technology applied to future platforms of Army and Marine ground vehicles.

 

Founded in 1990, Ecology Coatings develops nano-enabled, UV-curable, clean-technology coatings that are designed to drive efficiencies and clean processes in manufacturing. The company creates proprietary coatings with unique performance attributes by leveraging its platform of integrated nanomaterial technologies.