ABSTRACT
The main objective of the U.S. Army’s Active Coatings Technologies Program (ACT) is to develop technologies that can be used in combination to tailor coatings for utilization on Army Materiel. ACT is divided into several thrusts, including the Smart Coatings™ Materiel Program, Novel Technology Development, as well as other advanced technologies areas. The goal of the ACT Program is to conduct research leading to the development of multiple coatings systems for use on various military platforms, incorporating unique properties such as self-repair, selective removal, corrosion resistance, sensing, ability to modify coatings’ physical properties, colorizing, and alerting logistics staff when tanks or weaponry require more extensive repair. A partnership between the U.S. Army Corrosion Office at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ along with researchers at several universities are developing active coatings systems via novel technologies such as nanotechnology, Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), meta-materials, flexible electronics, electrochromics, electroluminescence, etc.
