Mar 18 2009
Ecology Coatings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ECOC), a leader in the discovery and development of nanotechnology-enabled, ultraviolet curable advanced materials, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded the company its seventh patent pertaining to its cleantech, environmentally friendly coatings. U.S. patent number 7,498,362 covers the processes and underlying technologies for producing environmentally friendly, nanotechnology-enabled, ultraviolet cured coatings for metal substrates and flexible objects.
"The benefits of the coatings and processes are twofold," explained Ecology Coatings CEO Bob Crockett. "Metal substrates, such as aluminum, chrome or stainless steel, are particularly difficult to adhere to, and require coatings that are corrosive resistant and lightweight. On the other hand, there are many applications where flat steel or aluminum sheets are used in forming and blanking operations and require a high-performance coating that is flexible and moves with the substrate. Our EcoQuik(TM) product provides both superior adherence and unequalled flexibility."
Ecology Coatings' EcoQuik product family, formally launched in April 2008, is comprised of three coatings lines, clear coatings, pigmented coatings and barrier coatings, and targets markets in excess of $21 billion in North America (Frost & Sullivan 2007).
EcoQuik products can replace decorative chrome by enabling hard chrome substitutes for weight reduction -- a significant benefit in the automotive industry. There is an increased use of physical vapor disposition (PVD) as a replacement for traditional chrome or electroplating. EcoQuik products provide a tie coat between the base product (metal or plastic) and the protective overcoat to shield against corrosion and scratches in the harshest environments. On the more glamorous side, the EcoQuick product is perfect for use in 'bright' retail packaging of personal care products, cosmetics, and electronics, where plastic is coated for a desired 'shiny' look.
"We continue aggressively to expand our intellectual property portfolio of cleantech UV coatings," said Crockett. "The award of this particular patent is important because we are highly focused on pursuing license agreements and joint development programs with leaders in the transportation, durable goods, electronics and consumer products sectors -- all of which can benefit from our coatings' ability to adhere to metal and/or flexible substrates."
Ecology's EcoQuik(TM) coatings provide superior wear, scratch resistance and hardness with a single application reducing coating thickness and offering versatility in applications. All of Ecology's coatings are ultraviolet curable, which provides for faster manufacturing speeds, lower energy output and a smaller manufacturing footprint. Additionally, the cleantech coatings contain no harmful solvents or other additives, eliminating and protecting against potential corrosion or flash rusting.