Paints and coatings are so much more than just products to add colour and protection to surfaces. There is some really amazing and interesting innovation which is taking the industry to a new level.
Here are a few of the most exciting (an unusual) innovations using paints and coatings.
1. Smart Paint
Smart technology surrounds us today, from TVs to garage door openers. Now, you can even turn your wall into a smart device with the help of conductive paint. Researchers have recently developed a paint that can turn any wall into a touchscreen, bringing a whole new meaning to the term “smart home.”
HOW DOES IT WORK? The paint contains a conductive nickel grid that creates electrodes on the wall. The wall can then act as a touchscreen and electromagnetic sensor, tracking your position, detecting objects, and responding to gesture commands. When this technology becomes commercially available, you will be able to control all of your smart devices from your wall.
2. Self-Cleaning Paint
Nanotechnology, which refers to materials smaller than 100 nanometers, has significant implications for paint and coating tech. One of the most interesting examples is self-cleaning paint. By adding nano-scale titanium dioxide to paint, companies can produce finishes that rarely if ever need cleaning.
HOW DOES IT WORK? These tiny particles give paint new properties that react to light to repel or hold on to water droplets. That way, they reduce friction on the surface, letting dirt slide off easily or repel anything that would stain it.
3. Antimicrobial Coatings
This innovation also uses nantechnology by making paints resistant to potentially dangerous microbes. Researchers have found that adding silver nanoparticles to paint can kill microbes on contact, keeping surfaces sterile without the need for frequent disinfection. Naturally, the medical industry has latched onto this advancement, but it can help in other places, too.
Restaurants, for example, can use these antimicrobial coatings on their kitchen equipment and dining surfaces. This could help stop disease outbreaks, protecting their staff and customers.
4. Auto Interior Paint
When you think of car paint, you probably think of the outside. Thanks to recent advances in paint technology, though, you can coat the inside of your car, too, which can help restore and protect the interior. With interior paints, you can change your seats’ look without expensive reupholstering or leather repair.
This concept has been around for a while, but new technology has vastly improved it. Urethane-based solvents, for example, allow these coatings to be flexible without cracking or peeling while drying quickly and lasting for years.
5. Solar Paint
Solar paint contains tiny light-sensitive particles that absorb sunlight to convert it into energy. It requires some wiring to capture this energy, but most of the installation is as easy as painting a wall.
With solar paints, you could turn your roof or a wall into a massive solar panel. While this technology isn’t as efficient as traditional solar panels yet, it can support them to generate as much clean energy as possible.
6. Spray-On Antennas
Whilst this may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, spray-on antennas are now a reality thanks to new paint technology. Researchers have developed a spray paint that can transmit radio waves as effectively as a wireless router or mobile device. This innovation could help expand the internet of things (IoT) to new heights.
Spray-on antennas would make it easy to set up a wireless network virtually anywhere with minimal costs. Smart cities, could really become a reality. This technology is still in its early stages, but its potential is enormous.
[Information sourced: www.techaeris.com]
Chemgrit Coatings supplies a variety of raw materials and additives to the paints and coatins industry. For more information contact Chemgrit Coatings on www.chemgritsa.co.za or athol@chemgritsa.co.za.