The UDRI Coatings group evaluates coatings and solves paint problems for government and industry. The group, which includes 17 coating professionals, is accredited to ISO 17025 and SAE AS5505 for the application, testing, and performance characterization of organic coatings.

Projects the group has successfully completed include:

• Testing coatings using standard and custom-designed protocols
• Qualifying coatings to preset standards
• Transitioning new coating technologies to commercial usage
• Providing assistance for field coating problems
• Developing and evaluating paint removal methods for metals and composites
• Analyzing and preventing corrosion
• Determining factors that influence coating performance

The Coatings group’s largest customer is the US Air Force’s Coatings Technology Integration Office (CTIO), located at Wright-Patterson AFB. The CTIO is the Air Force's central resource for aircraft coating systems and their applications. The state-of-the-art coatings application and testing facilities of the CTIO are available to UDRI’s industrial customers through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs).

To take advantage of the unique capabilities that the Coatings group offers, please contact Bill Culhane. The group’s specific capabilities include:

• Coating testing
• Coating application facilities
• Solving coating problems using our understanding of formula and application dynamics

Additional facilities in the group include:

• Particle erosion test facility
• Rain erosion test facility