In addition to adapting our Exilis™ PTFE and ICP coatings for a growing number of applications, we are also developing new formulations and materials systems with our industrial partners. These new coatings include Exilis™ Si (Silicones) and Exilis™ H2O (Hydrogels).
At GVD, we work closely with our customers to find custom solutions through R&D collaborations. Our flexible technology enables customization of our polymeric surface treatments and the development of new materials. Conventionally, polymer coatings are applied by taking a pre-made polymer as the starting material, dissolving it in a solvent, applying the solution to a part, and curing the resulting coating by driving off the solvent. In contrast, GVD's technology synthesizes the coating as it is deposited. This allows maximum flexibility in the design of the material, the composition of the resulting coating, and the functionality it bestows to the surface of our customer's part. It also obviates the need for solvents and other processing additives which may contaminate conventional coatings and compromise their performance. GVD's approach affords superior, well-defined coatings with tailored properties (purity, thickness, topology).
Our coatings are powerful new tools for imparting functionality to a surface.
Silicone Coated Wire
Organosilicon materials, particularly those with a -(SiO)n- polymeric backbone (commonly known as silicones), are available in bulk forms ranging from low viscosity oils to highly crosslinked resins and rubbers. These materials are used in a wide variety of applications, from paint additives to encapsulants for electrical connections. Silicones' long-term stability, mechanical integrity, and biocompatibility make them ideal general-purpose biomaterials (e.g., for heart valves, intraocular lenses, etc.). Like these bulk materials, our Exilis™ Si silicones exhibit excellent substrate adhesion, high thermal stability, and exceptional smoothness. They can be variably cross-linked to customize mechanical properties, and are deposited in a conformal, solvent-free manner similar to GVD's PTFE and ICP coatings. As an ultra-thin, flexible insulator, Exilis™ Si has shown to be 4X more resistive than Parylene-C during bulk resistivity testing. The environmental stability of Exilis™ Si has been demonstrated by soaking coated electrodes in physiological saline at 37°C over a period of >6 years. Even when continuously subjected to voltage bias over this time period, the Exilis™ Si coating remains electrically stable and exhibits no evidence of coating pinholes or crack formation.
GVD's Exilis™ H2O coatings are based on hydrophilic HEMA polymers (poly hydroxyethyl methacrylate, PHEMA) that absorb water to become hydrogels. PHEMA polymers exhibit high mechanical strength and tunable water content. GVD's Exilis™ H2O coatings are ultra-thin and smooth, and are deposited conformally like our Exilis™ PTFE and ICP coatings. These coatings can be useful in a wide variety of applications, ranging from industrial anti-fogging surfaces (e.g. lenses) to delicate medical devices (e.g. glucose sensors for tissue interaction, brain implants). The Exilis™ H2O coatings are particularly useful in small-scale medical device applications, adding surface lubricity and biocompatibility without bulk or excessive swelling.