Most textiles are made of polymeric and renewable materials or mixtures of these materials. Textiles, fabrics, tissues, and membranes are flexible and sensitive to heat as well as to interaction with aggressive surface treatments. The deposition of thin films onto these substrates to protect and modify the surface adds value and expands their application field.
Incoat’s ultra thin coatings are able to adjust the surface energy of the textile surfaces, improving adhesion of inks and glues or repelling water (wincoat©).
The photocatalytic titania coating catico© does not degrade organic base material; it protects the textile from being degraded by ultraviolet radiation. As a result the contacting environment on the reverse side is protected as well. For example, if a t-shirt is treated with the catico© coating, not only is the fabric protected, but the skin of the person wearing it is protected as well. The surface of the catico© layer detoxifies itself and the contacting environment, and transforms the resultant organic pollution – including bacteria and microbes – into non-polluting carbon dioxide and water vapor. The photocatalytic effect of the coating reduces the need for washing, since the dust does not stick well to the textile any more. As a result, the flame retardancy of the catico© coating is synergistically enhanced.
Current and Potential Application
|| UV barrier layer, anti-microbial effects (catico©) for medical
textiles
|| Easy-to-clean, anti-stain, and anti-microbial effects, combined
with flame retardancy and anti-static effects (catico©) for medical
devices, curtains, etc.
|| Deposition of a non-fluor containing water repelling coating for
tissues and membranes
Coating Advantages
|| Plasma polymerization deposition processes at ambient
temperatures
|| Good adhesion of deposited coatings due to the interaction with
the plasma discharge
|| Sustainable material management using sustainable techniques
|| Substrate is neither degraded nor damaged by heat
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