Core Technologies
Creating efficient bonding between two surfaces is a key requirement in advanced materials. Using Onto™ technology to provide the solution allows an effective and practical solution to this problem.
a) Radiation cured Coatings and Inks
Preparing a base polymer with a UV-cured coating can greatly increase its possible applications. But ensuring that a UV-coating remains fixed has long been problematic, requiring the use of expensive, specially treated base polymers and bespoke curing systems - until now.
The revolutionary Onto™ process applies a specially designed primer layer, creating an increase in adhesion between the base polymer and the required UV-cured coating. This allows the use of cheaper untreated base polymers and a wider range of UV-curable coatings, providing access to a wider range of materials with superior performance and stability.
This technology can also be used to great effect when in the area of increasing adhesion of a printed UV curable inks and a surface.
b) Composites
When bonding composites a primer is often required to allow sufficient adhesive strength between the materials. The choice of the primer needs to reflect not only the adhesive to be used but more importantly the substrate that the primer will be applied to.
Onto™ Technology has designed a range of substrate universal primer’s for a wide range of the adhesive or bonding agents to allow the quick and efficient selection of materials to bond composite such as a parylene coating.
c) Metallization
The promotion of adhesion between un-complementary surfaces such as organic polymers and metals is key problem in many markets. Onto™ technology enables the efficient adhesion of a metal to a polymer surface whether by solution based deposition or by increasing the adhesion between a metal film/sheet and a substrate.
The wetting (hydrophobicity, hydrophillicity, oleophillicity, oleophobicity) of a material or the degree to which a material can be wetted or dispersed in a liquid is an important function for advanced materials.
Onto™ technology enables the efficient tailored modification of the wetting properties of a surface such as:-
- Modification of low surface energy materials (Fluoropolymers, Cytop™, Teflon™, polyimide, polypropylene etc.) for increased wetting with aqueous or solvent coatings.
- Increased dispersion of nanoparticles in aqueous or solvent formulations.
- Antifouling coatings.
- Antifog coatings.
- Increased biocompatibility of medical implants or devices.
With the current worldwide rise in bacterial "superbugs", MRSA and virulent pandemics such as SARS and bird flu, the preparation of disinfecting treatments and devices is a growing market. Most current biocidal materials are either prepared by impregnating with a disinfecting agent, or by washing with a halogenated solution which leaves the materials with a unpleasant odour and taste.
Using the Onto™ process a platform has been developed that permits the slow release of hydrogen peroxide, an environmentally benign, broad-spectrum biocide from a material. This process can be applied to
- Water and Air filters for purification.
- Work surfaces in hospitals kitchens etc.
- Fabrics such as drapes, sheets, uniforms etc.
- Instruments or devices
Regeneration of this active-release system can be readily achieved by re-treatment with a dilute hydrogen peroxide solution.
This breakthrough technology can give any ‘commodity material’ a disinfecting action.
Ion Exchange Filters and Membranes
By employing the Onto process a range filter beds and membranes have been developed with tailored functionalities including:-
- Strongly Anionic
- Weakly Anionic
- Weakly Cationic
- Strongly Cationic
- Metal Scavenging
These materials can be prepared in porous bead, powder or membrane form with a range of tensile strengths or particle sizes.
The Onto process can modify materials as to allow the selective binding of another species. This species could be a chemical or biological entity such as a protein, a pharmaceutical drug or an inorganic material such as a metal.
This technology allows the construction of devices such as drug eluting systems, sensing and assay devices or media to treat water or gases in order to purify them.