Hydrophobic Coatings on Polymer Surfaces

A permanent water and oil resistant coating for polymer/plastic/organic material has been developed by the Chemistry Department ay BYU. The material bonds permanently with nylon and other polymeric and organic materials making them more resistant to water and oil. The coating is applied through chemical reactions producing a permanent covalent bond between the coating and the surface making it's seams water resistant, oil resistant, chemically stable and structurally resilient.

Some of the coating features include high water and oil resistivity. The water and oil contact angle was measured to be 130 degrees and 79 degrees respectively. The high contact angles results in the formation of water and oil beads at the surface making them unable to seep through the surface. The coating surface is also highly resilient. After being immersed in a mildly acidic solution for a period of one week, it retained it hydrophobic and oleophobic properties.

General Information
Electronic devices are always prone to damage caused by liquid spills because water or oil can seep into the electronic device via a seam where two or more parts come together to make a product. Often, these damages are permanent and can be very costly. A process for coating any plastic or organic surface has been developed at the Chemistry Department at Brigham Young University. The process involves a series of treatments and chemical reactions that render the surface water resistant and oil resistant. This broad range of resistivity to any type of liquid makes the coating very ideal for any type of environment.

The surface is treated in order to create a functional group that can make an intermediate chemical adhere to the surface. This same intermediate chemical is also able to adhere to the final component that is added onto the surface in order to make it water and oil resistant.

It was found that the water and oil contact angle was measured to be 130 degrees and 79 degrees respectively. This high contact angle results in the formation of water and oil beads at the surface making them unable to seep through.

One of the greatest advantages to this coating is that it is permanent. Most of the hydrophobic coating that exist in the market today are applied onto the surface and, after a period of time, can wear off leaving the surface vulnerable to liquid damages. The coating that has been developed here at Brigham Young University is a permanent coating that is placed onto the surface through chemical reactions.

The Market
This technology is highly applicable to high-tech gadgets that require protection from any type of moisture or liquid. The hydrophobic coating can be applied onto the plastic casings of many electronic devices making them safe from liquid damages. Electronic devices such, cell phones, flash drives, cameras/camcorder, Computers, and circuit boards are just a few examples.

Inventor(s): Matthew R. Linford

Type of Offer: Licensing



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