This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating atomic layer deposition technology (ALD) to create UV protective thin films onto porous substrates, including nonwoven fiber mats and textiles. Materials used in outdoor protective structures, architectural or decorative elements, and construction are limited by degradation in sunlight or other harsh exposure. The ALD technology is a unique approach to create ultra-thin and ultra-conformal coating layers onto polymer fibers with complex geometries. These coatings have the capacity to protect the underlying polymer from damaging ultraviolet exposure from the sun or other light sources. The coatings can compete with relatively expensive solution-dyed acrylic materials that now dominate the outdoor textile market. The coating can work with a range of material substrates beyond those currently used. Technology implementation requires new knowledge of process scaling and reactor design challenges.
The project accomplishes this goal by exploring a unique "flow-through" reactor design prototype resulting in a demonstration vehicle to evaluate materials and process throughput capabilities to meet market demands. The project engages VaporPulse Technologies to provide guidance in the field of coatings on fibers as well as expertise in project commercialization and marketing as they pertain to the potential to translate the science/technology along a path that may result in a competitive commercial reality. The technology could have commercial impact well beyond UV protection. Other fiber systems that can benefit from improved coatings include filtration and separations media, personal protective equipment, electronic and medical textiles, or engineered fibers or fabrics for military personnel. In the long term, society will benefit by having materials and products that provide safe and reliable operation under harsh and variable outdoor conditions for longer times at lower cost. The work will also have long-term impact by expanding foundational understanding of thin film reaction science and engineering with impact in many other future fields. This project will also help educate a PhD student in Chemical Engineering to learn the challenges of technology translation from a lab to a small business, allowing those skills to be expanded and passed on in the future.
