To provide the warfighter with a self-cleaning, self-healing coating for optics, GVD Corporation and SCHOTT North America propose to develop a variation of GVDs commercially successful polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, aka Teflon) fluoropolymer coating technology. This variation is superhydrophobic, and so any condensed moisture will roll off of the optic surface and perform a self-cleaning of the surface. Due to the coatings nature, any nicks or damage to the surface will have a self-healing property and will not result in a reduction of its superhydrophobic behavior.
