Use of Polysiloxane Coatings for Topside Applications on US Navy Ships

Polysiloxane coatings are the most recent high performance coatings developed to take advantage of the heat and oxidation resistant properties of silicone based materials. Commercially available polysiloxane coatings predominately consist of organic-inorganic siloxane materials (though some pure siloxane materials are available). Recently, the U.S. Navy has approved polysiloxane coatings as "High Durability" in their specification for exterior weather resistant coatings (MIL-PRF-24635 Type V and VI). Navy approval comes after over 20 years of industry development of polysiloxane coatings for high performance industrial and marine applications, yet issues remain with their cost-effective implementation in the Navy fleet. This paper will review experiences of the offshore and marine industry with polysiloxane coatings and provide an update on the Navy adoption of the technology.