Composite Protective Coating for UV and Infrared Shielding

Solution Overview

Problem

Fiber-reinforced composite materials used in platforms like aircraft are susceptible to degradation from exposure to electromagnetic radiation, moisture, and heat, necessitating protection without increasing weight or violating regulatory standards.

Innovation Solution

A two-layer coating system is applied, with a first layer containing a metallic additive to block UV-visible light and a second layer with a colorant to reflect infrared components, ensuring protection without excessive thickness or weight gain.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a coating system is applied to protect fiber-reinforced composite materials from electromagnetic radiation, moisture, and heat, then the protection effectiveness is improved, but the weight and thickness of the coating increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection effectivenessVSAvoidcoating weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The coating system is divided into two distinct functional layers: a first layer containing metallic additives (aluminum, zinc, or titanium) that reflects and absorbs electromagnetic radiation, and a second layer containing colorants that provide additional protection against moisture and heat. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall lightweight characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coating system utilizes composite material principles by combining different types of additives (metallic particles, colorants, and binding agents) within each layer to create a multi-functional protective coating that achieves superior protection effectiveness without proportionally increasing weight, as the composite structure allows for efficient distribution of protective functions across different materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If a coating system is applied to protect fiber-reinforced composite materials from electromagnetic radiation, moisture, and heat, then the protection effectiveness is improved, but the thickness of the coating increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection effectivenessVSAvoidcoating thickness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The coating system is divided into two distinct functional layers: a first layer containing metallic additives (aluminum, zinc, or titanium) that reflects and absorbs electromagnetic radiation, and a second layer containing colorants that provide additional protection against moisture and heat. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall lightweight characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coating system achieves effective protection with controlled thickness by optimizing the concentration and size of metallic additives (0.1-10 micrometers) and colorants within each layer, as well as adjusting the thickness of each individual layer to ensure that the total coating thickness remains minimal while maintaining superior protective performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Illumination intensity

If a coating system with multiple layers is applied to provide specific optical properties, then the optical performance is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoptical performanceVSAvoidcoating system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coating system is divided into two distinct functional layers: a first layer containing metallic additives (aluminum, zinc, or titanium) that reflects and absorbs electromagnetic radiation, and a second layer containing colorants that provide additional protection against moisture and heat. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall lightweight characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The coating system achieves multi-functionality by designing the first layer to simultaneously reflect electromagnetic radiation and provide a substrate for the second layer, while the second layer provides both aesthetic color properties and additional protection against moisture and heat, thereby reducing overall system complexity compared to separate specialized coatings for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4682212A1Coating systems for composite protection

Publication Date: 2026.01.21 THE BOEING CO

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

A coating system for a composite component is presented. The coating system comprises a first layer comprising a metallic additive, and a second layer thereover and in contact with the first layer and configured to reflect infrared components of sunlight. The first layer is configured to prevent transmission of at least one of ultraviolet light or visible light within desired wavelengths. The second layer comprises a polyurethane and titanium dioxide, wherein the first layer is positioned between the second layer and the composite component.