Research & Technical Programmes

(a) Glass-like Coatings on Metals/Stainless Steels

Key Features

• Anti-fingerprint, easy-to-clean
• High scratch hardness and abrasion resistance
• High temperature tarnish protection
• Protection against acid attack and ion leaching
• Coloured coatings possible

Potential Applications

• Household appliances - stainless steel stove tops
• Medicine and health care-medical/surgical instruments
• Automotive-exhaust parts for motor cycles, cars

(b) Anti-microbial, Easy-to-Clean and Photocatalytic Coatings on Metals, Stainless Steels, Glass and Plastic

Key Features

• Incorporation of anti-microbial nanoparticles, controlled release mechanism
• Easy-to-clean coatings have surface properties comparable to perfluorinated
• polymers (hydrophobic surface)
• Self-cleaning and self-sterilizing surface with photocatalytic coating
• Hydrophilic surface formation facilitates easy cleaning by rain or rinsing with
• water (self cleaning effect)
• Self cleaning coatings - Activation by sunlight/artificial UV light
• Long life time, strongly enhanced UV protection by TiO2

Potential Applications

• Medicine/Pharamaceutical - Medicine bottles/containers
• Health care - Hearing aids, hospital furniture
• Food packaging
• Textile and fabric - textile walls, textile roofs, sun shades, blinds

(c) Multi-Layer Interference Coatings on Glass, Plastics and Sapphire

Key Features

• Refractive index and thickness of the coatings can be adjusted
• Coatings can be made as reflective or antireflective

Potential Applications

• Automotive - Dash-boards in automobiles
• Window-glasses for multi-storeyed buildings
• Optical Coatings - Ophthalmic lenses, glasses used in photo-frames

(d) Gels for Fire-protection Applications

Key Features

• Transparent ceramic materials
• Fire protection materials
• Adaptation of adhesion to different kinds of substrate materials
• Inorganic binder
• Adjustable flexibility and network formation
• Thick inorganic coatings

Potential Applications

• Window glazing
• Wooden doors/planks

(e) Decorative Coatings on Glass and Ceramics

Key Features

• Adjustable transmission and refractive index of the coatings
• Colour of the coating can be controlled by suitable choice of pigments/dopants
• UV, temperature stable and weather proof
• Recyclability of glass due to complete degradation of organic constituents at high temperatures

Potential Applications

• Glass and Ceramic industry - Coloured glasses for aesthetics