NEI Corporation has introduced a transparent, micron-thick coating that provides both scratch resistance and easy-to-clean properties to surfaces. The waterborne SR-100EC coating can be applied to plastics such as polycarbonate, PMMA, PET, polyurethane, epoxy, as well as metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, brass and chrome. The surface treatment is mechanically stable, is highly repellent to water and oils, and it enhances lubricity. By applying SR-100EC on the surface of components, soil and liquids simply slide off the surface, thereby helping prevent deposits and extending the time between cleanings.
SR-100EC is easy to use and is ideally suited for optical lenses, touch screen protectors, stainless steel appliances, hand rails, and faucets. The liquid coating solution can be applied by dipping, spraying, roll or flow coating and is available in 1, 5, and 55 gallon quantities. NEI also offers in-house coatings services for customer parts. Additionally, NEI provides coatings development services wherein coating formulations are created to address specific customer requirements.
NEI's SR-100EC coating is based on a patent pending, water-based coating composition comprised of functionalized perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs). Although PFPEs are known for their non-stick and lubricating properties, it has been a major technical challenge to incorporate them into a stable formulation that can lead to a coating with sufficient adhesion to various substrates. NEI's SR-100EC formulation overcomes this stability issue. Additionally, while PFPE-based, easy-to-clean coatings currently on the market generally form very thin (< 100nm) coatings, SR-100EC coatings have a thickness of 2-5 microns, thereby creating a more mechanically stable coating that cannot easily be removed by abrasion, harsh cleaners or chemicals.
