Super Hard nCoating for Multiple Substrates
Overview
NAMI has developed flexible, transparent super hard inorganic/organic hybrid coating materials – nCoating – for the application on flexible and rigid substrates, as well as in printing ink to improve surface hardness and scratch resistance.
Commercialisation opportunities
Non-exclusive licensing
Problem addressed
Currently, screen substrate materials used for flexible display are either plastic film, which is easily scratched, or ultra-thin glass which is easily broken. NAMI’s transparent nCoating is tough, yet flexible and highly adhesive, suitable for use in different areas including foldable screen, anti-smudge film, high hardness ink and anti-scratch wood.
Innovation
- NAMI's nCoating is a combination of organic-inorganic network structures with nano-size inorganic “glass” core surrounded by reactive organic “plastic” tails. Uniform dispersion of nano-size hard core and highly crosslinked plastic tails provides excellent anti-scratch hard surface and durable folding flexibility.
- By optimizing the structural design and hence formulation, NAMI’s nCoating can be customized to super hard coating for various substrates. The glass-like hardness and plastic-like flexibility make it possible for foldable touch screen with super-hard anti-scratch surface and robust bending durability.
Key impact
- High flexibility
- Super surface hardness
- Scratch resistance
- High transparency
Award
- Winner of 2021 R&D100 Awards
- Gold Medal at the “2022 Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions”
Application
- Flexible electronics
- Goggle and face shield
- Scratch-resistance ink
- Protection film for rollable display
Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI)
As a Materials Expert, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) has a strong portfolio of innovative technologies to support and collaborate with the industry, offering frontier-applied research on advanced materials as well as technology transfer for commercialization success.
NAMI, incorporated in 2006, is designated by the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Government as a Research and Development Center for nanotechnology and advanced materials. NAMI undertakes and provides support for market-driven research in nanotechnology and advanced materials, and strives for commercialization of the technologies to benefit the industry and the society at large, as well as re-industrialization to promote the economic growth and sustainability of Hong Kong.
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