Electrically Conductive Black Primer
A TDE activity which closed in July 2019 has developed a multifunctional primer which can be used to prepare metal surfaces for bonding while at the same time improving the surfaces emissivity, corrosion protection, electrical conductivity and thermos-optical properties.
Currently, there is no primer available on the market that will cover all of these properties in one single layer. The activity, conducted by TOSEDA in the Czech Republic, wanted to change that.
By supplying these benefits in a single coating, the activity could result in an environmentally more friendly and less expensive solution for protectingmetallic parts used in the space industry.
TOSEDA designed and synthesized 35 types of special multifunctional primers (epoxy-based polymeric binders) doped with tailored nanostructures to create the surface protection needs.
The developed multifunctional black primers have the additional benefit of not containing the toxic material, hexavalent chromium, as a corrosion inhibitor.
The unique primers can be easily applied by brush or by spraying in a single layer just 50 microns thick and do not need to combined with another functional coating.
Another advantage is that TOSEDA’s primers can be stored for at least six months at roomtemperature, compared to standard commercial primers, which require storage at -18 °C and must be redispersed before they can be used.
The team hopes the new technology will be used as a highly durable coating on launchers and extraterrestrial mission vehicles to make them resistant to the space environment or as an ultra-black coating for space instruments and devices such as satellites star trackers. But they also have potential applications on-ground in the aerospace, automotive, and construction industries to protect metal surfaces from humidity or exposure to very low or very high temperatures.
4000119335/ T721-404MT closed in July 2018.