PLATFORM TAILORS SURFACE PROPERTIES TO DELIVER ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES USING ECO-FRIENDLY PROCESSING

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PLATFORM TAILORS SURFACE PROPERTIES TO DELIVER ADVANCED FUNCTIONALITIES USING ECO-FRIENDLY PROCESSING
19 April 2007 - Dow Corning - EEI

Dow Corning Corp.'s Plasma Solutions Business today introduced its PlasmaStream platform, which can be used to coat virtually any surface to improve such characteristics as adhesion, waterproofing, low-friction slickness, or anti-microbial properties. “The PlasmaStream benefits manufacturers of 3-dimensional, rigid or molded parts where surface or interface functionality can add value to their product.”

“By providing new capabilities in terms of the variety and performance of functional coatings, product designers and engineers have new opportunities to customize the surface properties of a substrate, providing added value and competitive differentiation,” said Andy Goodwin, Dow Corning’s program manager.

For example, plastics used in automotive components, medical devices and microelectronics typically are difficult to bond, glue, coat or laminate. But Dow Corning's PlasmaStream can deposit an ultra-thin plasma polymerized primer film, customized to the chemistries of the specific plastic materials, to deliver adhesion, bond strength and durability, even in harsh environments.

“While designed to be a mainstream manufacturing tool, PlasmaStream’s versatility and cost effectiveness make it suitable for R&D and pilot production as well,” said Goodwin. “This technology provides customers with options as they seek to further innovate their products.”

In addition to new or improved product performance, the platform reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating process steps, such as drying and curing. The technology is environment-friendly; it uses no water and is energy efficient since it operates at or near room temperatures, needs no solvents or surfactants, and has negligible waste disposal and recycling needs.

Examples of the surface properties that can be deposited include:

adhesive promotion: outstanding bonding and lamination on polymer and metal surfaces without the need for bulk adhesion promoters
hydrophobic: durable water repellency, complete water roll-off and inhibition of capillary flow
hydrophilic: water wicking, extra absorbency, easy capillary flow, anti-fog, easy take-up and good coverage for printing, coating, dyeing, etc.
oleophobic: high solvent repellency with durability to boiling water and solvent washes
low friction: low coefficient of friction to produce a slick surface
non-stick/release: low release force combined with the ability to reuse
bioactive: selective biological tethering sites - bio-receptors/bio-affinity, antimicrobial coatings and proteins
co-polymers: multifunctional surfaces, e.g., dual function NH2 + COOH
trapped active: the coating matrix can encapsulate for additional functionality

Its versatility in delivering many engineered surface functions is achieved by the use of a liquid precursor which is atomized and sprayed into the plasma jet, a Dow Corning patented process. A jet of cool plasma covers substrates with a uniform coating only tens of nanometers thick that chemically bonds to the underlying material.

PlasmaStream’s precursor polymerization and coating process is designed to be gentler than conventional plasma deposition processes which typically damage or destroy the precursor molecules, along with their functionality and value.

http://www.dowcorning.com

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Multibase (www.multibase.com), a Dow Corning company, is a leading global supplier of differentiated Thermoplastic Elastomer materials and solutions. Multibase's headquarters is located in France with manufacturing facilities in the US, France and India, and commercial offices around the world.

Dow Corning (www.dowcorning.com), which develops, manufactures and markets diverse silicon-based products, currently offers more than 7000 products and services to customers worldwide. Dow Corning is a global leader in silicon-based materials. Its shares are equally owned by Dow Chemical Company and Corning Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's sales are outside the United States.

Multiflex are trademarks of Multibase S.A.
Dow Corning, TPSiV and Silastic are a registered trademark of Dow Corning Corporation.

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