Sol-Gel nanocoatings

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A look at some of the sol-gel companies currently producing innovative new coatings applications.

Sol-gel coatings are routinely applied to a wide variety of substrate materials (plastics, glass, metals, ceramics and textiles) and are finding application in a wide range of industries due to the multi-functional properties they offer, such as: Hydrophobicity; anti-fingerprinting; oleophobicity; anti-microbialism; easy-to-clean; corrosion resistance; low friction; chemical resistance; anti-static; conductivity; wear-resistance; and UV protection. The market has been growing steadily over the past few years.

The sol-gel method allows for the coating of substrates with nanomaterials and the properties at the nanoscale allow for coatings to exhibit one or combinations of the aforementioned properties. At present, they are mainly used for the prevention of soiling (incrustation/clogging; protein adhesion/cell adhesion; biofilm formation); aging/degradation; and friction/wear.

Industries they are currently applied to include:

• construction (pipes, facades, bridges)

• automotive (paint surface treatments, metal parts, metal structures, windows, mirrors, lamps and plastic surfaces)

• marine

• cookware (high-temperature resistant coatings)

• electronics (components, screens and displays, plastic and metal parts)

• medicine (anti-microbial surfaces)

• sanitary; oil and gas (pipes)

• anti- reflection eyeglasses

• energy (wind power structures and blades, glass surfaces on solar panels)

• consumer electronics (displays and plastic and metal parts)

• and food manufacturing.

 

ISTN, Inc.

www.istninc.com

THE COMPANY

ISTN, Inc. was founded in 1997 by Dr. Arthur Yang. Researchers at ISTN Inc. are experts in optical functional coatings and customized water treatment technologies.

TECHNOLOGY

Anti-Fog (AF) Technology from ISTN Inc. is an UV curable, highly crosslinked polymer coating system containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic nanodomains. Surfaces coated with UV FOGuard™ are capable of spreading water and thus preventing fog formation on a variety of optical substrates. This nanocomposite coating has surpassed current thermal curing technologies in terms of both durability and endurance while maintaining superior AF and mechanical properties.

Markets

Typical applications of ISTN AF coatings include industrial and sport safety lenses or visors, automotive windows, bathroom mirrors, and windows on commercial freezers.

Nanocare AG

www.nanocare-ag.com

THE COMPANY

The company produces easy to clean and anti-fingerprint coatings. The products are sold under trademark. Sol-Gel based processing methods are used for preparing the thin film coatings.

TECHNOLOGY

The products are sold under five different trade names – Nanoflex, Easy Glass, Nanoflex APF 100, Nanoflex SG 80, Top CERAM.

The substrates coated range from glass, ceramic, plastic, textile, concrete, stainless steel, porcelain. Coating thickness ranges from 100 – 500 nm. Lifetime of coatings depends on abrasion; some coatings can last up to 8 years.

Markets

Surfaces coated include glass and ceramics, plastics and precious metals, textiles, sand-blasted glass surfaces and stoneware.

Nanogate

www.nanogate.de

THE COMPANY

The Nanogate Group is structured into two operating companies: Nanogate Advanced Materials GmbH and Nanogate Coating Systems GmbH, which offers surface technology focusing on easy-to-clean coatings. The Nanogate Group is a public company.

TECHNOLOGY

The company’s sol-gel based processes are used for coating surfaces such as glass, sanitary ceramics, metal, plastics, and fabrics, concrete and wood. For plastics it is mainly Polycarbonates, PMMA and PVC. The company concentrates on inorganic-organic nanocomposites as well as self-organising nanostructures based on chemical nanotechnology; in particular, the company’s focus lies on materials-based processes to develop, manufacture and market multifunctional materials.

Markets

The company has commercialized and is selling a number of coatings. Main application of the company’s product is on surfaces such as windshields, architectural, shower glass, machinery and metals in auto units.

Nanosol AG

www.nanosol.com

THE COMPANY

Nanosol AG is specialized on the coating of medical devices. They were founded in September 1995 as a spin-off company from the Institute for New Materials (INM). Since January 2001 they have been based in Balzers the Principality of Liechtenstein.

TECHNOLOGY

The main field for the company is non-stick coatings, scratch resistant coatings and customer tailored developments of materials in the field of sol-gel chemistry. Organically modified silica is coated on glass, steel and aluminium. Sol gel based coatings solution produce a 1-4 micron thickness layer which is being manufactured for large-scale application. 

Markets

Main markets for their coatings are paint and varnish, medical devices, biocompatible surfaces, easy-to-clean and scratch resistant coatings.

Nano-X GmbH

www.nano-x.de

THE COMPANY

The company produce a range of coatings under the X-Clean Brand for prevention of surface defects.

TECHNOLOGY

• Easy-to-clean surfaces with nano-effect in the areas of protection against soiling for glass, ceramics and metal, protection against graffiti and demoulding aids

• Self-cleaning surfaces through the bionic effect or photocatalytic effect for interior and exterior applications

• Scratchproof and abrasion-proof coatings for plastics, metals etc.

• Anti-fingerprint coatings for surfaces of stainless steel

• Catalytically active surfaces as coatings to decompose odors, soot or dirt

• Protective coatings to prevent dewing and fogging.

Markets

Industrial applications are mainly in automotive for oxide scale protection and easy-to-clean coating for automotive glass, as well as the steel industry.

NTC GmbH

www.ntcgmbh.com

THE COMPANY

The company is producing sol-gel coatings for electronics, automotive and façade engineering. The company was founded in 2000 as a spin-out from the Leibniz-Institut fuer Neue Materialien (INM).

TECHNOLOGY

The company produces scratch resistant, corrosion resistant and easy -to-clean coatings. NTC mainly focuses on coatings for light metals (Aluminium and Magnesium) and various kinds of steel, such as technical parts for cars and aircrafts as well as engine parts and production areas for food technology. The dry layers are very thin with values of 3 -10mm following hardening. The materials are resistant to a large number of chemicals. such as cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), or lead (Pb).

Markets

The main markets are electronics, automotive and façade engineering. Lucrative applications are in heat exchangers and air conditioning systems.

Sarastro GmbH

www.sarastro-nanotec.com

THE COMPANY

Sarastro GmbH was founded in 2001 and is a spin-out from Lebniz Institute of New Materials. The company produce anti-microbial, hygiene and anti-fingerprinting coatings.

TECHNOLOGY

The company’s sol-gel process is based on developing a matrix system for long term performance of hygiene coatings. Nanoscale silver is coated on surfaces such as textiles, metals and ceramic. The thickness depends on the material, and the life time can be up to several years.

Markets

Applications areas are medicine and medical technology, hygiene surfaces, soft cleaning tissues, and textiles for automotives.

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