Anti-adhesion and self-cleaning engineered surfaces

Customer

Company specialized in mechanical and surface processing of components

Demand

Analyze and define the patent framework relating to solutions for the realization of surfaces with adhesion reduction properties and self-cleaning, with particular reference to the case of contact between polymers and metal substrates.

In parallel, study the technological solutions used and the players involved.

Services

Patent analysis

Solution

The scouting activity was aimed at defining, from a patent point of view, the technological framework relating to the field of surface engineering and, specifically, the creation of surfaces with self-cleaning properties and reduced adhesion.

The analysis activity made it possible to define, through the study of patent publications, the technological solutions adopted, the application sectors and the main companies active in this area.

The analysis was optimized according to the requests and needs raised, in several moments of comparison, by the client company, detailing the technical aspects according to the final application and the industrial sector considered. The results of the activity have allowed the customer to understand existing technologies, to evaluate their characteristics and to select, with the support of CRIT, the most suitable solution for their application needs.

Description

Within product innovation processes, the development of innovative materials through technologies and processes with high added value and high technological level is gaining increasing importance. In fact, this approach to innovation allows to integrate and guarantee advanced properties capable of improving the overall performance of the products in different ways.
In this context, more and more companies are investing in technologies capable of modifying the surface properties of materials, such as laser texturing, plasma treatments and specific coatings.

In this context, it is essential both for end users and for service companies to analyze the existing solutions in the engineering landscape. In fact, it is possible to take advantage of a variety of coatings and surface morphologies to ensure a wide variety of features, including:

Friction reduction
Self-cleaning
Anti-accession
Hydrophobicity
Hydrophilicity

Scouting has made it possible, through the analysis of patent publications, to identify and investigate existing solutions capable of giving anti-adhesion and self-cleaning properties to surfaces. In addition, following a specific interest of the company, part of the activity was focused on systems formed by polymers and metals, to identify solutions aimed at reducing the adhesion between these materials.