Plastics
PVD COATINGS FOR PLASTICS
Acree is an industry leader in the deposition of thin film coatings on plastics. We have developed proprietary in-situ plasma pre-cleaning processes that allow virtually any coating to be applied to plastics with tenacious adhesion. Acree uses Energetic Deposition Processes (EDP) to apply the coatings, which allows high quality, dense, high-performance coatings to be applied at low temperatures that are compatible with plastics, such as, polycarbonate, acrylic, PET, HDPE, PEEK, PMMA, nylon, silicone and others. We have developed a large number of coatings on plastics for our customers. Some examples:
Scratch and Abrasion Resistant Coatings for Plastics
Acree has developed a suite of abrasion resistant coatings for plastics that outperform standard hardcoats by more than 10x in MIL-SPEC abrasion testing. These coatings can withstand sand impact and abrasive contact with minimal or no change in transparency or haze. The secret to the coating is a multilayer structure that terminates in a hard yet flexible surface. The surface hardness is far greater than that of standard hardcoats.
Coatings for Plastic Catheters
Acree has developed a number of coatings for catheters, including, hermetic coatings to prevent water and fluid infiltration, lubricious coatings that allow easy insertion into sheathes and tissue, and the fabrication of advanced electrodes for state-of-the-art catheters that allow real time feedback and control during use. For the advanced electrodes, Acree has developed proprietary patterning techniques that allow small (< 1mm in size), complex shaped, multilayered electrodes to be applied to the catheter. These electrodes are used for a variety of feedback and diagnostic treatments.
Aircraft Canopy and Window Coatings
Acree has developed an advanced multifunctional coating for aircraft windows that provides greater protection from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and provides eye protection from laser exposure. The coatings can be tailored to allow control of transmission at selected laser hazard wavelengths. In addition, the coatings reduce infrared transmission, which reduces the solar load and temperature within the aircraft. The multifunctional coatings can be tailored to produce UV/VIS/IR absorption and reflection profiles suitable for a wide variety of window requirements. In addition the coating system increases resistance to abrasion and scratching.
Coatings for Face Shields, Visors and Glasses
Acree has developed coatings for face shields, visors and glasses that improves abrasion and scratch resistance by a factor of 10x compared to off-the-shelf hardcoats used today. In addition, the coatings have excellent optical matching to the plastic material and improved ballistic performance relative to industry-standard siloxane. The coatings use a unique plasma pretreatment of the plastic material to improve adhesion and a multilayered stack that forms a grading in the mechanical properties from the soft plastic to the hard overcoat. The coatings have been evaluated per military specifications for ballistic performance, abrasion resistance, chemical exposure, and environmental durability. The result is a low cost manufacturing process, supplying highly abrasion resistant coatings on plastic lenses and visors.
Coatings for Electrical Insulators
Acree has developed a ceramic coating that significantly increases an electrical insulator’s surface breakdown (flashover) voltage. In addition, the coating improves the recovery of the plastic when breakdown does occur. The coated surface is significantly more robust then the uncoated plastic insulator. The coated surface has fewer breakdowns at high voltage and experiences far less damage during a breakdown event, while an uncoated insulator has significantly more damage, which degrades the breakdown resistance. Plastic electrical insulators are commonly used for high-voltage transmission due to their low cost and ease of manufacture. In high voltage power transmission they are subjected to instantaneous power levels with voltages and currents exceeding 1 MV and 1 MA respectively. At these enormous loads, the insulators often suffer surface or flash breakdown, leading to a significant loss of grid efficiency. Acree’s coating significantly improves the performance of these plastic insulators.
Coatings for Plastic Pacemakers Components
Acree has developed a hermetic coating for advanced plastic pacemaker components. The coating was developed to protect sensitive electronics that are integrated into advanced pacemaker electrodes. The coating seals the plastic electrode against body fluids, preventing corrosion and providing biocompatiblity with the human body.
COATINGS FOR THE PLASTICS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
Acree offers coatings that improve the performance of tools and dies used in plastic manufacturing. Forms and extrusion dies used in plastic manufacturing suffer abrasive and adhesive wear that eventually damage the die and render it unusable. In addition, plastic deposits tend to build-up on die surfaces, leading to unacceptable residues on products and to manufacturing defects. Acree provides PVD coatings that protect the die surface, significantly extending the tool life. Acree’s tool and die coatings provide the following benefits:
INJECTION MOLDING-
Extended life of molds and dies
• Reduced downtime
• Shorter cycle times/increased productivity
• Improved injection pressure, melt flow and mold filling, which reduces sink marks and other surface flaws
• Reduced “sticking,” eliminating the need for release agents
• Dry operation, eliminating the need for costly lubricants
• Easier to clean molds and dies
• Chemical inertness and hardness
• Prevention of catalytic reactions
• Improved adherence to prescribed dimensions of tools