Barrier-coating layer application method

Abstract

A method for spray-creating a composite-material layer useable in a plural-layer coating applied to the outside surface of a liquid container to defeat liquid leakage from that container following a projectile penetration of the container, and utilizing in the creation of such a layer a blend of first and second, penetration-reaction materials including, as a first penetration-reaction material, a high-elastomeric body-forming material, and as a second penetration-reaction material, liquid-imbibing bead-like elements. The method includes (a) defining a desired-by-weight final percentage blend of these two materials, where the weight contribution of the mentioned first material is the larger-percentage contributor to the final composite-material layer, and (b) creating side-by-side, differentiated, simultaneous sprays of the two materials to be blended in air en route toward the region of a target liquid container, with the flow rate of the first material being adjusted, relative to that of the second material, to be the greater by-weight flow rate so as to achieve the desired, final, percentage-by-weight, sprayed-layer blend.

1 . A method for spray-creating a composite-material layer useable in a plural-layer coating applied to the outside surface of a liquid container to defeat liquid leakage from that container following a projectile penetration of the container, and utilizing in the creation of such a layer a desired-by-weight blend of first and second, penetration-reaction materials including, as a first penetration-reaction material, a high-elastomeric body-forming material, and as a second penetration-reaction material, liquid-imbibing bead-like elements, said method including the steps of 
 defining a desired-by-weight final percentage blend of these two materials, where the weight contribution of the first-mentioned penetration-reaction material is the larger-percentage contributor to the final composite-material layer, and    creating side-by-side, differentiated, simultaneous sprays of these two materials to be contact-blended into a composite spray en route in the air toward the region of a target liquid container, with the by-weight flow rate of the first-mentioned penetration-reaction material, during spraying, being adjusted to be greater than that of the second-mentioned penetration-reaction material by an amount designed to achieve the desired, final, percentage-by-weight sprayed-layer blend.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said creating of simultaneous sprays of the mentioned two penetration-reaction materials takes place through the operations of a pair of side-by-side spray instrumentalities, and which further includes offering a user the option to vary independently both the lateral and the longitudinal separations between these two spray instrumentalities, whereby the amount of en route contact blend time between the two penetration-reaction materials may be selectively varied.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the high-elastomeric material is a wet liquid material, and the bead-like elements are formed of a dry material.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, upstream from where spraying takes place, the mentioned bead-like elements are gravity-supplied for ultimate spraying.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, upstream from where spraying takes place, the mentioned bead-like elements are supplied for spraying in a pressurized-air, gravity-feed manner.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, upstream from where spraying takes place, the bead-like elements are supplied for spraying utilizing a combination of gravity feed and impeller-pump drive.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  which further includes, with respect to the manner of supplying the bead-like elements for spraying, providing pressurized air assist in relation to the operation of impeller-pump driving.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, upstream from where spraying takes place, the bead-like elements are supplied for spraying via combined gravity and auger-drive feeding manners.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  which further includes providing an air assistance option useable in conjunction with the mentioned auger-drive feeding activity.