Tag Archives: nanocoatings

Ford Motor Company goes greener with nanocoating

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It seems to be a day for volatile organic compounds (VOC) as I mentioned them earlier today in my Nov. 18, 2011 posting about Pricoil Ghana and their technology. Ford Motor Company has developed a nanocoating which allows vehicle windshields to be attached in a more cost-efficient and eco-friendly fashion. From the Nov. 18, 2011 news item on Nanowerk,

Ford wants to innovate the way vehicle windshields are installed through a new patented process that makes the attachment less costly, simpler and more eco-conscious than current practices.

One patent covers cleaning and activating the edge of the windshield glass in less than 10 seconds. A second Ford patent covers the application of a plasma-reacted nano-coating that modifies the surface for bonding of the adhesive that holds the windshield in place. The entire patented process takes less than one minute.

Larry Haack, technical expert, Ford Research & Innovation, said there are several benefits of the new patented technology including elimination of the primers that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

A deal has been signed with Plasmatreat so the technology can be used universally. From the news item,

Ford recently signed a nonexclusive, worldwide license agreement with Elgin, Ill.-based Plasmatreat U.S. L.P. that grants the right to use Ford’s new process patents and incorporate the Ford technology into Plasmatreat’s own equipment and patented processes. Also, Ford will provide technical assistance to Plasmatreat and its customers to implement technology using Ford’s experience and know-how.

Here’s a little information about Plasmatreat from the Company webpage,

Plasmatreat is a worldwide enterprise with leading technology, wide-ranging experience, renowned research projects and a large partner network. We are innovators and work with our customers to pioneer applications and break new ground. The potential for ground-breaking applications is unlimited.

Since 1995 the company, which now operates globally, has focused its activities on the development of atmospheric-pressure plasma processes. With technology centers in Germany, the Unites States, Japan and China as well as sales offices and agencies around the globe we have a local presence wherever our expert knowledge and our experience in the field of tailored surface treatment solutions are needed.

The company also has offices in Canada, unsurprisingly, in Mississauga (where there are lots of automobile manufacturing plants).

Nanocoating for LED lighting, smartphones, etc.

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Coatings may not sound exciting but nanotechnology is have a big impact in that area. P2i, a UK-based company that’s been mentioned here before, will be bringing a nanocoating for LED lighting and smartphones to IFA 2011, the largest consumer trade show for electronics and home appliances in the world. From the August 31, 2011 news item on Nanowerk,

P2i brings its award-winning liquid repellent nano-coating technology, Aridion™, to IFA for the first time in 2011. Show visitors will be able to witness the ‘magic’ of Aridion™ in action at P2i’s booth – water simply forms beads and rolls off protected items, leaving no trace.

Aridion™ technology creates a complete nanoscopic protective coating for consumer electronics devices such as smartphones and MP3 players. By providing superior liquid repellency Aridion™ effectively fights corrosion, thus substantially reducing warranty failure and repair costs.

While the news item mentions smartphones, the company’s big announcement seems to be focused on LED lighting,

As IFA opens, P2i also announces it has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement to protect LED lighting solutions with SavWatt USA, Inc. Aridion™ technology will transform the reliability of the lights through reduced failure and repair rates.

For anyone who’d like more details about the Aridion™ coating,

Aridion™ is applied using a special pulsed ionized gas (plasma), which is created within a vacuum chamber, to attach a nanoscopic polymer layer, one thousand times thinner than a human hair – to the lighting system. This dramatically lowers the product’s surface energy, so that when liquids or moisture come into contact with it, they form beads and simply roll off.

Plus, because Aridion™ coats every aspect of a finished product at the nanoscopic level, it protects much more thoroughly than alternative approaches where individual components are treated prior to assembly. The result is a truly durable liquid repellent coating that does not affect the working components of electronic devices, maintaining the look, feel and functionality of the product.

My previous mentions of  P2i, a company, which supplies nanocoatings for Nike and to the military amongst other customers, are in a November 17, 2009 posting, a January 5, 2010 posting, and an April 20, 2010 posting. (You will need to scroll through the postings.)

Canadian cameras acquire nanocoatings

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A Canadian company that produces marine cameras recently formed a strategic partnership with Diamon-Fusion International (DFI), a US company that specializes in nanocoatings. From the Feb. 9, 2011 news item on Nanowerk,

Diamon-Fusion International, Inc. (DFI), global developer and exclusive licensor of patented hydrophobic nanotechnologies, announced today it has entered into a strategic marketing partnership with Canadian-based Current Corporation, manufacturers of high-end day and night vision camera systems for commercial, private, high-speed, law enforcement and military marine vessels. Utilizing the award-winning, patented Diamon-Fusion® nanocoating on the Night Navigator camera glass protects the lens from harsh sea salt and environmental elements. In addition, the coating provides better visibility, reducing night glare as well as the corrosion and mineral buildup that can occur by ever-present saltwater.

This marks the second time I’ve come across an item about DFI and a Canadian company. From my Nov. 26, 2009 posting,

I’m always happy to see innovations with glass and mirrors (I hate window cleaning as I always leave streaks no matter how hard I try). So this news warmed my heart: an Alberta-based (Canada) company, House of Mirrors and Glass, has signed a licensing agreement with Diamon-Fusion International [DFI Nanotechnology] for a coating. From the news item on Nanowerk,

The agreement provides distribution of DFI’s NanoPax™ product throughout the Province of Alberta and further expands DFI’s applications into a diverse niche of architectural markets province-wide.

I gather DFI is expanding into the marine market via this partnership agreement with Current Corporation, which is located in Port Moody, British Columbia. Here’s a picture of one of Current Corporation”s cameras,

Image from Current Corporation website.

This camera’s ability to detect whale spouts successfully passed a round of tests recently. From the company’s Feb. 9, 2011 news release,

The purpose of the testing was to prove that ships can detect whale spouts at great distances, night and day, through high-resolution thermal imaging. This allows ships to avoid collisions with marine mammals.

Two separate camera systems were used during testing; a Night Navigator 3 with a thermal optical dual field of view of 20° and 6.8° (25 micron pitch), and a Night Navigator 3 with a thermal optical dual field of view of 13.8° and 4.6° (17 micron pitch). Both systems also feature image-intensified night vision and high-definition day cameras.

To simulate the spout of a whale, an air compressor was customized to eject from 0.5-2 liters of mammal temperature (98°F) and ocean temperature (60°F) seawater and freshwater. When initiated, the simulator blew the contents approximately 3-6 meters into the air. The simulator was placed on a 13 meter test barge which was then sent to varying distances of 100, 250, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 meters. At each distance, night and day, the simulator made several blows. In each instance the spout could clearly be seen through the thermal imager.

The testing was overseen by Professor Joe Mobley, PhD, MA, Professor, of the University of Hawaii, a leading expert in whale research, who validated the results. “I’ve been presented with a lot of papers, proposals and products over the years and have never seen what was demonstrated to me in Vancouver by Current Corporation”. [sic]

As for DFI, from their home page,

For over a decade, Diamon-Fusion International (DFI), a California-based and privately-held US Company has pioneered the use of protective coatings for surface care.

Known throughout the world as a leader in the glass protection and protective coatings industry, DFI has developed, produced and distributed a variety of products designed for the restoration, protection and maintenance of not only glass but ALL silica-based surfaces, such as granite, ceramic tile, porcelain, quartz, among the main ones. The breadth of DFI’s product offering ranges from award-winning and patented, professional quality products only available through authorized distributors (licensees) to easy-to-use highly-effective, do-it-yourself products for consumers.

Here’s an explanation of why their coating technology is described as a ‘nanocoating’ (from the company’s Nanotechnology page),

DFI’s coating, a patented process, works at nanoscale levels, approximately 30 nanometers. The change of the molecular composition of the silica-based surface created by DFI’s chemistry and bonding nanoparticles, along with the cross-linking, branching, and final “capping”, enables the full efficiency of the coating process at an atomic scale.

Good luck to the strategic partnership!