Coatings for Security Documents and Labels
BackgroundResearchers at the University of Toronto have developed a novel materials platform based on self-assembling spherical polymer particles which can store a variety of additives such as fluorescent dyes in either the spherical cores or the surrounding polymer matrix.
Technology
It has been shown that it is possible to create a material with dyes of different colours in the spheres and matrix such that directly superimposable images can be written selectively with a laser, and read at different wavelengths. This allows for encoding of images/information with much sharper quality than competing technologies, using inexpensive materials.
Applications
The technology is easily adaptable to coatings for security documents, e.g. passports, other ID cards, or labels for luxury goods, possibly even currency. The high-resolution superimposable images would be very difficult to detect and counterfeit, and can be fabricated and applied at a reasonable cost. Patent Status
US patent #6,974,618 has been granted. Canadian and International PCT applications have been filed.
Business Opportunity
The Innovations Group is seeking licensees with interest in specific applications of this novel system.
Technology has been highlighted in Chemical Pilot Magazine. To view the article, please click on the following link: http://innovations.utoronto.ca/images/stories/download/Scan001.PDF.
The technology has also been published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry (Vol. 17, pp. 523-526, 2007).
Patents:
US 6,974,618
Type of Offer: Licensing
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