High-performance Nanocoating Technology that Bonds Dissimilar Materials

Currently, materials like metals and plastics are joined by glues and fasteners, but they do not offer appropriate adhesion, especially over time, due to inherent material properties or limitations in the thermal and mechanical stability of the bonding interface.

This nanometer-thin adhesion technology enables the easy bonding of dissimilar materials like metal, glass and plastics. Based on polymer brushes, this high-performance nanocoating is invisible, extremely strong and can withstand extreme conditions. It is also chemically safe, environmentally friendly and designed for easy disassembly of components.

This adhesive nanocoating is a 20-100 nm layer of polymer brushes that are invisible to the naked eye. When applied on solid materials like metals, it allows for ultra-tight direct bonding to plastics which is unaffected by the roughness of the surface. The joining process can be incorporated in most types of traditional industrial techniques, like injection moulding and solvent or ultrasonic welding. This provides a highly efficient and versatile assembly process without the need for traditional primers or glues. Furthermore, the bonding process is reversible, allowing for the easy disassembly and recycling of components.

This nanocoating technology can also be used as a surface primer for glues and coatings, providing improved adhesion in the areas of strength, stability, lifetime and coatability. Surfaces pre-coated with the primer can be stored separately for many months, making it possible to separate the priming and assembly process.

In addition, this technology can be designed as functional nanocoatings that offer a wide range of surface properties and functionality, such as super-hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity, anti-fouling, low-friction materials, anti-corrosion, bioelectronics, sensors, and hybrid materials.

• Medical – A safe way to bond and makes the cleaning process easier, as there is no adhesive layer seeping out and no interface for bacteria to grow
• Electronics – Tight bonding, to seal elements and protect them from water
• Design – Enables the attachment of acrylics to metal and other hard surfaces, and replace the use of fasteners for joining
• Offshore and Marine – Anti-fouling coating against marine organisms, as the adhesion is robust enough to withstand conditions in harsh environments, watertight against biofilm
• Food and Beverage – Safe adhesion with no risk of contamination or leaking over time
• Automotive and Aerospace – Potential for the creation of safe and durable hybrid components of plastics and metals. For example, some metal parts can be substituted with lighter plastic alternatives that lower the weight of automobiles. This would result in reduced fuel consumption, making vehicles and airplanes more environmentally friendly

• Easy bonding of metal, glass and other materials to plastics
• Invisible
• Extremely strong and can endure harsh conditions
• Chemically safe and environmentally friendly
• Bonding process is reversible, allowing for designs for easy disassembly and recycling of the components
• Can be used with conventional welding methods (heat, solvent etc.) as well as plastics over-moulding
• Increased coatability and stability - the coating works even on very smooth surfaces and is not dependent on surface roughness