Polycarbonate (PC) is a class of amorphous, naturally transparent thermoplastic polymers with carbonate groups in their chemical structure. It's a long-lasting substance with excellent heat resistance. Plastic lenses in spectacles, medical equipment, automobile components, digital disks, and external lighting devices are all examples of products that require impact resistance and/or transparency. It has a low scratch resistance despite its strong impact resistance. As a result, applications such as polycarbonate eyeglass lenses and polycarbonate exterior automotive parts use coating.
Different characteristics of PC surfaces can provide a number of performance benefits in a variety of applications. Alfa Chemistry can provide innovative functionalized surface coating services for PC materials. You can modify the surface qualities of nearly any PC-related product using our wide and simple surface modification methods. You may confidently modify the surface of your product if you choose to deal with us!
Extensive Surface Modification Technology Options
Alfa Chemistry provides a wide range of polymer surface modification technologies to change the properties of PC materials' surfaces. Our surface modification technology options include but are not limited to the following.
- Surface Water Repellent Coating Technology - We can add hydrophobic and oleophobic qualities to the surface of PC substrates to make them highly water and oil-resistant, effectively rendering them immune to nearly all liquids.
- Hydrophilic coating technology - By functionalizing the surfaces of PC substrates, we may make them very hydrophilic.
- Adhesion Promotion Coating Technology - To increase surface adherence, we can functionalize the surface of PC substrates.
- Particle Modification Coating Technology - Alfa Chemistry can improve particle behavior, minimize aggregation, and maximize cross-linking by functionalizing PC particle surfaces.
- Lubricant Coating Technology - We can functionalize the surface of PC substrates with lubricity to reduce surface friction.
These qualities can be manufactured, and the nano-coatings are chemically stable, optically transparent, and long-lasting.
Learn more about our hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings.
Learn more about our hydrophilic coatings.
Learn more about our adhesion promotion coatings.
Learn more about our particle-modified coatings.
Learn more about our lubricant coatings.
Alfa Chemistry Coating Solution Cases
Case 1: Embedded anti-reflection coating for PC glass
PC is an optical plastic that is both sturdy and transparent. For PCs to achieve high light transmission and visual quality, broadband anti-reflection (AR) coatings with great mechanical strength and environmental stability are required.
Alfa Chemistry partially embeds the silica coating into the PC substrate with chloroform vapor treatment, which also separates the silica coating into a bottom layer and an intermediate layer with various refractive indices to improve adherence. The coating's adherence to the PC substrate improved as the contact substrate between the silica nanoparticles changed from "point contact" to "surface contact." A three-layer refractive index graded AR structure was built after a top coat of smaller diameter silica nanoparticles was deposited. The topcoat layer's surface free energy was reduced by using hexamethyldisilazane vapor surface modification.
Fig 1. SEM images of silica nanoparticles coated PC after different time of chloroform vapor treatment. (Zhang C, et al. 2022)
Three coatings of PC have outstanding anti-reflective characteristics. There was little alteration in the reflectance of the coated PC after several rubs or exposure to contaminated settings for 5 months, showing its superior mechanical strength and environmental stability.
Why Choose Alfa Chemistry?
- We are experienced with custom polymer surface coatings.
- Our custom coated products are thin and green safe.
- Our coating solutions can be customized to the specific requirements of your product.
Reference
- Zhang C, et al. (2022). "Embedding Constructed Refractive Index Graded Antireflective Coating with High Abrasion Resistance and Environmental Stability for Polycarbonate Glass." Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. 608(1): 13-21.
