{"id":19615,"date":"2021-07-06T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-06T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.engineernewsnetwork.com\/blog\/?p=19615"},"modified":"2021-08-26T10:11:06","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T09:11:06","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-a-nano-ceramic-and-a-nano-coating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.engineernewsnetwork.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-a-nano-ceramic-and-a-nano-coating\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the difference between a nano-ceramic and a nano-coating?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Simon Mercer talks through the basics of silicon dioxide-based nano-coating technology and how it\u2019s used to extend the serviceable life and looks of many surfaces<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As nano-coatings grow in popularity and availability in numerous sectors, the term ‘nano-ceramics’ has entered the space \u2013 particularly in association with the automotive sector, where these terms are often interchangeable. So, what is a nano-ceramic, what are their benefits and how do they sit within the nano-coatings category?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nanotechnology was first researched in 1959 and became a practical engineering science in 1981. Over the past 40 years, it has been rapidly developed for use in a wide range of different industries such as aerospace, communications, and more recently antibacterial applications. In fact, many of us come into contact with nanotechnology coatings every day without realising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The glass industry was one of the first to seize upon the advantages of \u2018easy clean\u2019 and the dirt repellent benefits that nano-coatings offered end-users as a way to differentiate their products. Now much of the shower glass sold in the UK will have been treated with a nano-coating; the effect can be seen in the beading\/shedding of water and prevention of limescale adherence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coatings have been developed to ease cleaning and maintenance in many areas of life. Within the urban environment, they have been developed to preserve and protect some of our oldest stone buildings from weathering and environmental pollution, maintaining these structures for future generations. They can also provide graffiti and chewing gum resistance to more modern concrete structures – allowing both to be removed relatively easily, reducing the need for harsh chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Oil on a nano-ceramic treated surface<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nano-coatings are not just used to protect hard surfaces such as granite worktops, car bodywork or glass, they are also used to protect fabrics – extending their serviceable life with stain resistance and water repellence. These are performance features that we are most familiar within our everyday lives when we purchase sofas, carpets and coats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, nano-coatings offer a wide range of benefits to many industries, in general, reducing wear and tear, cleaning time and expense as well as extending the functional life of surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a time when the word \u2018nano\u2019 has become a fashionable marketing prefix to describe phones, computers and even a cryptocurrency, what does it have to do with coatings? To begin to understand nanotechnology and the dimension of coating finishes it can create, the first hurdle is comprehending the size of the molecular structures that are used. These are measured in nanometers (nm), typically silicon dioxide-based nano-coatings are approx. 120 mn, this is around 80,000 times thinner than human hair; as a visual guide, a piece of paper is nearly 100,000 nm thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nano-ceramics use on granite and stainless steel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nano-Care coatings are based on nanoscale molecules of silicon dioxide (Si02), hydrogen and nitrogen. State-of-the-art technology combines these elements to produce a \u2018glass-like coating\u2019 that can adhere to natural, synthetic or metallic substrates. The coating becomes part of the substrate \u2013 enhancing performance and delivering new functionality to the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many instances, the new or enhanced functionality is often the ability to repel liquids\/water, dirt, scratches and resist UV radiation. Due to the permanent and inert nature of the coatings\u2019 bond to the surface, they are highly abrasion-resistant. For any such coating, mechanical, weathering and abrasion resistance information should be readily available, ideally to an ISO standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this first generation of silicon dioxide-based technology, an innovation through the addition of nano-scale ceramic particles which have been combined with the base active ingredient has been commercialised \u2013 and it is this group which are described as, and are true ‘nano-ceramics’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nano-ceramics treated surface<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These offer enhanced \u2018hardness\u2019 to the protective layer; this is measured on the Moh scale of mineral hardness rated 1-10 (as for pencils). These coatings are designed to prevent scratches and to maintain the aesthetics of the original surface. They are commonly used within the automotive and transport sectors to maintain bodywork and interior surfaces against everyday wear and tear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following summarises the main key features of nano-ceramics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n