Ecology Coatings, Inc. has signed a letter of intent with the U.S. Automotive Partnership for Advancing Research & Technologies (USAutoPARTS) to participate in a nonprofit automotive research initiative program. USAutoPARTS, which is to be located in a 56,000-sq-ft research and development facility located in Shelby, MI, and donated by Delphi Corp., has invited a number of companies to locate a portion of their R&D organization within the facility. The funding of the R&D facility will be obtained from companies in the automotive industry, foundations, government grants and other financial resources. The participating companies will focus their research on three areas: lightweight materials, electric and electronic thermal management systems, and carbon emissions control. No date has been set for completion of the fundraising or for USAutoPARTS to move into the Delphi facility.

"With the increased market and regulatory pressure to improve fuel efficiency, there is a need to cost-effectively lower vehicle weight without sacrificing safety," said Ecology Coatings CEO Richard Stromback. "Lightweight polymer and polymer composites, metal matrix composites, and bio-based materials are being developed to replace certain heavy metal components currently used in the manufacture of vehicles. Currently, these lightweight composites must go through endurance testing using conventional coating technologies, which often fail to meet performance standards. Our Liquid Nanotechnology™ coatings, which contain no toxic solvents and use an energy efficient UV curing process, allow for bonding to a wide range of substrates never before seen in the industry and provide performance advantages, such as added hardness and scratch resistance, to withstand the automotive industry's most stringent performance testing."

Ecology's Liquid Nanotechnology coatings reportedly provide superior wear and scratch resistance and hardness with a single application, which reduces coating thickness and offers versatility in applications. All of Ecology's coatings are ultraviolet-curable, which provides for faster manufacturing speeds, lower energy output and a smaller manufacturing footprint. Additionally, the coatings contain no harmful solvents or other additives, eliminating and protecting against potential corrosion or flash rusting.

For more information, call 248.723.2223 or visit www.ecologycoatings.com.