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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/G042195/1
Title: Impact and erosion resistant coatings - double auto-expanding polymer foam and hybrid CVD/PVD laminated hierarchical multilayered approaches
Principal Investigator: Wood, Professor RJK
Other Investigators:
Walsh, Emeritus Prof F Wharton, Dr J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Faculty of Engineering & the Environment
Organisation: University of Southampton
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 01 July 2009 Ends: 30 December 2013 Value (£): 635,797
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials testing & eng.
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
04 Dec 2008 Enhancing Damage Tolerance Panel Meeting Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Recent research has greatly increased the knowledge and understanding of biological materials and how their unique mechanical and physical properties arise from their structures. New fabrication techniques have allowed the modification of biological materials or the synthesis of novel materials and structures that are based on established biological principles. The aim is to use modern surface engineering techniques to develop hard and tough lightweight coatings for impact resistance and develop expandable foam to create intelligent airbags to minimise behind armour blunt trauma. These systems would be compatible lightweight body armour with impact resistant coating externally and intelligent airbags internally. This propsal will look at two novel and biomimetically inspired strategies to accommodate impact energies from erodents, foreign objects and ballistics to enhance damage tolerance of surfaces to high strain events: (1) hard and tough multi-layered CVD based coatings matched to their substrates that will dissipate impact energy through sub-critical nano/micro crack propagation and elastic responses; (2) plastically deforming and auxetic (negative Poisson's ratio) foam based coatings that foam under high-strain to act as a double crumple zone for damage resistance and self-repair and self-protection. Energy would be dissipated via elastic and plastic deformation and auxetic performance.
Key Findings
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Summary
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.soton.ac.uk