OAS's unique technology prevents silver tarnishing

OXFORD, UK: Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group Plc, the advanced materials company, has developed a 1nm thick, environmentally friendly Onto coating that acts to protect silver against tarnishing.

The effect of atmospheric pollutants on the surface of exposed metals can result in the formation of a number of unwanted compounds causing tarnishing of the surface.

“Tarnishing is not just aesthetically unpleasant –- it also degrades the electronic and optical properties of the metal surface, and is therefore a causal factor in the reliability of LEDs, lighting, Printed circuit boards (pcb) and electronic components”, commented Mike Edwards, VP Sales & Marketing at OAS.

Current technologies addressing this problem have many disadvantages or are uneconomical, preventing wide scale implementation, particularly in electronic applications. The Onto coating doesn’t impede electrical connectivity, is thermally stable up to 250°C and is applied via a simple wet coating approach offering attractive solutions to a number of problems in the electronics and lighting industries.

Potential applications include industrial, household and automotive lighting systems, silver conductors throughout the electronics industry and other applications where silver or other valuable metals need to be protected from tarnishing. The company is seeking new partners for either tailored development or straight license of the silver anti-tarnish technology for use in their products and processes.

OAS develops and commercialises advanced material solutions which are cost effective, simple to implement, and deliver valuable changes to the functionality of all kinds of surfaces via our platform surface modification technology.

OAS uses proprietary highly reactive chemistry, Onto, in combination with polymers and/or particles to provide solutions that deliver enhanced performance which enables new, highly cost-effective opportunities. Initial applications include advanced adhesion, anti-tarnishing of silver, anti-reflectance coatings and particle delivery in markets including advanced composites and laminates, lighting, displays and FMCGs.