Surface-Modified Nanoparticles Endow Coatings With Combined Properties
SAARBRÜCKEN, Germany - Fabricators and processors alike demand consistently high quality for their intermediate and final products. The properties of these goods usually also have to meet specific requirements. Particularly the surfaces of work pieces or moldings are expected to exhibit several different functions at once, depending on the industry. Robustness, unchanging appearance, mar resistance, impact resistance or UV stability may be required. Researchers at the INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrücken, Germany, are using nanoparticles as design elements for such multifunctional coatings. These nanoparticles are specifically adapted to the particular application by Small Molecule Surface Modification (SMSM).
How this approach can be used to produce custom-tailored coatings was recently demonstrated by INM at the Hannover Fair on April 13-17, 2015.