Seeking Anti-fingerprint coating

• A Product
• A Material
• A Technology

A product, material or technology (in descending order of preference) is sought that provides a high gloss coating surface that is highly resistant to fingerprints and similar surface contamination. The solution provided should be adaptable to a liquid coating format (not powder) and can be solvent-based, water-based, or 100% solids (liquid at application) . The solution should be adaptable to a clear glossy coating, which can be safely applied through standard industrial application techniques to a variety of substrates including plastics and metals. The dried film should also demonstrate resistance properties (scratch, chip, chemical, UV, etc.) similar to current high performance coatings.

Surfaces with high gloss coatings are employed in a variety of applications including handheld electronics, appliances, displays and automotive interiors. Routine use of these articles inevitably leads to smudges and fingerprints from the user. These surface defects are undesirable by end users and are cleaned off with some effort, which can further risk scratching of the glossy surface, and inconveniencing the user.
A coating which can render a surface highly resistant to the appearance of fingerprints and smudges is desired.

State-of-the-art technologies that are highly resistant to fingerprints and smudges are generally low gloss coatings or high gloss coatings specially formulated to resist cleaning agents and abrasion. The desired solution will be adaptable to a high gloss, thin film build coating (20-30 microns (0.8-1.2 mils) dry film thickness), with improved resistance to fingerprints and smudges. In addition to the preceding requirements, the coating must have other important properties typical of high performance coatings such as light fastness, hardness, chip/scratch/abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance (alcohol , household cleaners (ammonia, butyl cellosolve)). Coatings capable of this performance are often based on ultraviolet cure, polyurethane or melamine chemistries. Substrates include a variety of plastics (PC, PC/ABS, Nylon, and others - this could include non-polar substrates, but adhesion to these can be accomplished via other coating materials and methods), some metals, and other coated surfaces.

A technology that is:

• Highly resistant to fingerprints adaptable to a liquid coating format (not powder)
• Water or solvent based, or 100% solids (liquid at application)
• Adaptable to a visibly clear and colorless high gloss coating
• Can be made safe for the applicator through the use of standard industrial precautions
• Can be applied to the substrate using standard techniques (such as spray, roll, etc) for liquid coatings
• Can be applied over a variety of substrates including plastics (PC, PC/ABS, Nylon and others), metals (primarily aluminum and steel), and other previously coated surfaces
• Is manufacturable with standard processes in the coatings industry (such as media milling, mixing with Cowles blades, impeller...)
• Is comparable to current high performance coatings for dry film properties (such as urethane or melamine cured coatings)
• Can be applied at thin film build (20-30 microns (0.8-1.2 mils)

The seeker is open to a number of approaches and understands that a number of different approaches may have merit:

• Coating which does not accept fingerprints
• Coating which "hides" fingerprints
• "Super-phobic" behavior to the residue from fingerprints and oils from an user's skin
• Use of differing indices of refraction

• In-mold coating
• Thermal spray
• Vapor deposition

Dependent on if solution is a ready-to-use coating or else if the solution requires formulation and integration into a coating system.

While the focus of our search is for visibly clear and colorless coatings, the ability to add pigmentation to the solution to create a colored coating is is a plus.

Ideally ready to use solutions.

• Business Type: Coating manufacturer serving many markets including industrial and consumer goods
• Annual Revenue: Multiple $ billions
• Years of Business: >50
• Location: Headquartered in USA with facilities and customers around the world