Coatings for Improved UV protection of Additively Manufactured Photopolymers

This student team will have the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to a real world problem with no predetermined “right answer”. Through this project, students will have the opportunity to work to execute this ambitious project and will gain insights on what it is like to work at a company like Boeing. About the project: Additive Manufacturing (AM) is revolutionizing the way we fabricate aerospace components by enabling increasingly complex part designs. The Photopolymer 3D printing process has many advantages including the ability to print small complex parts with excellent surface finish. Historically the use of photopolymers in aerospace production have been limited by poor elevated temperature mechanical properties, flammability, and susceptibility to UV degradation. Recent advances in photopolymer materials have improved temperature resistance and flammability, but the material remain susceptible to degradation when exposed to ultraviolet light (UV). This student team will work to focus on evaluating and improving coating technologies to shield photopolymer parts from UV light. The students will work toward this project objective by selecting coating materials, modifying them with pigments/additives to improve their UV protective properties, and by studying the effect of coating thickness on UV protection on additivity manufactured photopolymers. This student team will work to use testing to determine the degree of UV protection offered by each coating system. This student team will work to: -Select a set of existing coating materials and additives/pigments with the potential to improve the coating's UV protective properties -Develop test plan to study the effect of coating thickness and the addition of additives/pigments on the coating's UV protective properties on additively manufactured photopolymers. -Modify coatings with selected additives/pigments -Paint and test photopolymer samples printed at Boeing according to the test plan

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