Tuesday, December 4, 2007 - 10:00 AM

Improved Modeling and Simulation of the Behavior of Environmentally Exposed Films

Brian Hinderliter and Stuart Croll, North Dakota State Univ

Simulation of coating degradation continues to be productive, not only in generating functional quantitative relationships of measurable properties with time, but also in helping to direct research. The modeling process payoffs include practical direct benefits such as the ability to interpolate measurements and smooth noisy data based on physically based fitting functions and extrapolate measured data for lifetime prediction or service/maintenance scheduling. Modeling is vital in more fundamental improvements of coating systems such as understanding the physical processes and coating constituents that are impacting measurement leads to better design of coatings (Occam’s razor – know what is important), separating various degradation processes (chemistry from topography), and detecting changes in the dominant cause of measurement (for example detecting coating crack initiation).

Previous success in understanding and predicting coating’s properties has been achieved with surface degradation in homogenized materials, both using statistical equations and Monte Carlo simulations. Multiphase statistical models, along with the results of Monte Carlo simulations, were developed to predict gloss and contact angle changes. The predictions of the multiphase model are compared to the homogenized materials model, and to pigmented acrylic coating measurements. Additional results based on bulk material damage will be presented.


See more of Accelerated Testing & Environmental Cycling I
See more of The 2007 Tri-Service Corrosion Conference (December 3-7, 2007)