Hydrophobic Coating Technology

Our patented hydrophobic and superhydrophobic nano-coating treatments improve performance of virtually any product via easy-to-apply hydrophobic nano-coatings that can bond with a wide array of surfaces. Together we create winning hydrophobic products!

Water beading and repelled by hydrophobic surface treatment

Water repellent. Anti Wetting.
Long lasting performance.

Aculon® has a variety of surface coating technologies capable of functionalizing numerous substrate types to be hydrophobic. Aculon’s® hydrophobic coatings and treatments are highly water repellent offering numerous performance benefits. In addition these hydrophobic nano-coatings are ultra thin (nanoscale), optically clear and quite durable. Hydrophobic treatments from Aculon® will also act as an anti wetting coating solution. There are numerous performance advantages to having a hydrophobic surface on countless applications. Want to learn more? Reach out to us at +1-858-350-9499 or contact us here to see how we can help!

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Does your product need a hydrophobic nano-coating?

Hydrophobic surface coating technologies can be used to address a wide variety of problems. Some examples below where a hydrophobic nano-coating will help improve the quality of your product. Reach out to us at +1-858-350-9499 or contact us here to see how we can help!

  • You're experiencing problems due to liquid behavior on the surface of your product.
  • Cleaning your surface is time consuming, expensive, or impossible.
  • Physical barrier to prevent liquid flow is not possible
  • Adhesive materials stick to surface
  • Water or oil droplets/contamination impede optical performance.
  • Exposure to water results in electronics failure.
  • Wettability of a surface or powder is not ideal

Tell us about your hydrophobic application!

Do you have a question for us, or a product that can benefit from a hydrophobic coating? Get in touch and let’s talk!

Real World Applications

Countless electronics applications benefit from having a hydrophobic functionalized surfaces. A broad range of technologies at our disposal means we can tackle most any electronics repellency challenge.
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Numerous oil & gas applications benefit from hydrophobic functional treatments. Applications include down well treatments for enhanced oil recovery and treatment of industrial equipment for anti fouling and reduced cleaning.
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There are countless applications in numerous industries that can benefit from a hydrophobic surface. Chances are if you have an application which can benefit from a hydrophobic treatment, we have looked at it before and can help.
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Aculon® surface modification technologies can be utilized for numerous medical applications, enabling unique performance, process simplification and excellent value across a broad range of medical surfaces and applications.
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How it Works

Surfaces

Aculon® has a wide variety of coating technologies at our disposal meaning that we can treat nearly any surface or substrate. This includes, but is not limited to metals, polymers, semiconductors, ceramics, and glass. The type of substrate will impact the technology options which can be utilized in addition to cleaning or other processing steps that may be required. In general due to the presence of a surface oxide layer we find the highest likelihood of success with metals, ceramics, glass, and semiconductors.

Substrates suitable for surface modification - plastic, metal, glass, and circuit boards
Hydrophobic technology performance - water repellency example

Hydrophobic Performance

Our hydrophobic coating technologies will yield a robust a long lasting hydrophobic surface. Typical water contact angles (measurement of surface energy) are in the 115°-120° range which is nearly super hydrophobic. These nano-coatings are nanoscale, as thin as 2-4 nm thin leaving your part visually unchanged and optically clear. A self assembling process ensures a uniform and even surface coating every time!

Technology - Hydrophobic Coating Platforms

Aculon’s® core coating technology is based around the SAMP or "Self Assembled Monolayer of Phosphonates" which is comprised of a phosphonic acid and a repellent carbon based molecule which can impart a durable hydrophobic coated surface on oxide containing substrates. Other hydrophobic options in our suite of technologies for modifying surfaces to be hydrophobic are organometallic, transition metal complex, & surface growth polymer coatings.

Hydrophobic technology demonstration - 2-4 nanometer coating
Surface treatment and coating strength represented by chain.

Hydrophobic Surface Durability

Aculon’s® hydrophobic surface coatings are chemically robust with options that can withstand most any environment or exposure condition. These nano-coatings are thermally stable (200°-300°C+) in ambient air. Due to strong covalent bonding they are also resistant to abrasion. We have a saying that the hydrophobic treatment is “as strong as the underlying substrate”. If your substrate will survive the environment undamaged, our hydrophobic coatings will too.

Application Process - Hydrophobic Nano-Coatings

Aculon’s® hydrophobic nano-coatings are robust and scalable for high volume commercial applications. These coatings and treatments are all applied via wet chemical processes, meaning no deposition equipment, chambers, or batch processing, ever! Application options include spray, wipe, dip, jet, or dispense.

Aculon hydrophobic coating application process - spray application onto smartphone

Why Hydrophobic Coatings from Aculon?

We are surface modification experts who have developed and produced hydrophobic surface coating technologies to modify a broad variety of surfaces, such as metal, glass, and polymers for nearly 20 years.

These nano-coatings & treatments are all thin (nano-scale), easy to apply, safe, and non-toxic, with green options available. We have worked on thousands of hydrophobic coating applications, invested hundreds of thousand of hours solving hydrophobic surface related challenges. You are very likely reading this as you too have a challenge that can be solved by modifying your surface to be hydrophobic with a specialized nano-coating. We will work directly with you on a customized hydrophobic coating solution tailored to the unique needs of your product. Let us help you make your product better. Want to learn more? Reach out to us at +1-858-350-9499 or contact us here to see how we can help!

PFOA Free Coatings

Aculon has a wide range of PFOA & PFOS free hydrophobic coating technologies to address your applications needs. Not only are our hydrophobic coatings a regulatory solution for your existing hydrophobic coatings which contain PFOA & PFOS, but they also have numerous performance advantages including: up to 120° water contact angles, easy liquid based application, optical clarity, durable performance, & many others! Click to learn more about our PFOA & PFOS free coatings!

Proven Real-World Performance

A company came to us with an application requiring functionalization of Alumina & Aluminum tubes to be repellent to water and other liquids while also surviving 120°C of heat during use. Aculon evaluate the provided parts & successfully functionalizd them with a very repellent and durable hydrophobic nano-coating treatment.

water droplet wetting out on untreated aluminum.
Water beading on aluminum hydrophobic modified surface.

Aculon Webinar Series

April 30, 2020

Hydrophobic Surface Modification

How Modifying Your Surface to Be Hydrophobic Can Have Significant Impacts on Improving Your Product or Process

Hosted by C.E.O Edward Hughes and Senior Business Development and Product Manager Mario Gattuso

Tell us about your hydrophobic application

Do you have a question for us, or a product that can benefit from a hydrophobic coating? Get in touch and let’s talk!

Hydrophobic Coating Frequently Asked Questions

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