How It Works

Our self-healing technology for high-performance coatings, adhesives, and sealants are the first of their kind to be commercially available. They save you money by preventing further deterioration to coatings damaged by common stresses— from a simple scratch on a vehicle to a severe gash on an oil rig. At the moment damage happens, the microcapsules release protective compounds to seal the substrate and ward off rust and deterioration, extending the service life of your equipment without human intervention. 

Our microcapsule technology delivers self-healing polymeric systems that actually seal themselves after damage. By creating this seal and blocking out corrosion, the finish lasts exceptionally longer, reducing the disruption (and cost!) of refinishing the surface. Further, our technology can make water-based coatings last at least as long as solvent-based versions, which are harder on the environment and the people who handle them.

Whether as a result of impact damage or thermo-mechanical stresses, microcracks that form in a coating will grow leading to larger scales of damage that ultimately compromise the coating’s ability to protect the underlying asset. Microcracks formed in coatings incorporating our microcapsules rupture the microcapsules allowing the reactive healing agents they contain to be released into the cracks. Once in the cracks, the healing agents fill in the gaps and restore the integrity of the coating. This healing functionality arrests damage early keeping the coating in service and the underlying asset in operation.

When the damage to the coated substrate is too large for the self-healing agent to completely repair it, the agent will still reseal the edges of the damage zone, preventing loss of adhesion and subsequent delamination of the coating. As a result, the coating will remain on the substrate for longer and the scope of damage needing a repair during a maintenance event will be smaller.