Most coating companies describe their product’s performance in marketing materials. Nanize describes it in spectroscopy data, across more than 20,000 validated test samples.
FTIR stands for Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy. It is an analytical technique that identifies chemical bonds within a material by measuring how the material absorbs infrared light at different wavelengths. Each type of chemical bond absorbs infrared light at a characteristic frequency, producing a spectral fingerprint. For polysilazane coatings, FTIR is used to track the conversion of Si-N bonds (present in uncured polysilazane) to Si-O bonds (formed as the coating cures and crosslinks). A fully cured coating shows complete or near-complete conversion. A partially cured coating shows residual Si-N peaks in the spectrum.
Nanize’s testing protocol compares the FTIR spectra of uncured polysilazane against the spectra of Nanize-cured samples on aluminium and steel substrates. The results show full curing achieved in under 60 seconds at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius. Across 20,000 samples, the data is consistent.
Why Full Crosslinking Is the Key Metric
Dr. Kingsley Iwu, Nanize’s CTO, has stated it directly: “Fully cross-linking the coating and covalently bonding it to the substrate is the key to the excellent performance achieved by Nanize.”
This is not a minor technical detail. Crosslinking density determines almost everything important about a coating’s performance. A densely crosslinked polymer network is harder, more chemically resistant, more scratch-resistant, and more durable over time than a loosely crosslinked one. The covalent bond to the substrate prevents the delamination and peeling that limits the service life of many current coatings, including most PFAS-based non-stick surfaces.
When Nanize claims its coatings outperform Teflon on friction without using fluorinated chemistry, the claim is rooted in crosslinking density. The Si-O backbone formed during curing creates an extremely smooth, low-energy surface at the molecular level. Surfaces with low surface energy repel liquids, resist staining, and produce very low friction against solid materials.
The Catalyst Question
Most polysilazane curing processes require a catalyst to achieve full crosslinking at practical temperatures and time scales. Catalysts introduce complexity: they need to be sourced, managed, and sometimes removed from the final product. They can affect surface chemistry in ways that require additional process steps. In some applications, catalyst residues create regulatory or safety concerns.
Nanize’s curing technology is catalyst-free. The curing mechanism is proprietary and patent-protected, but the practical consequence is a simpler process with fewer inputs and fewer potential failure points. “It’s all in the chemistry,” Dr. Iwu notes. The formulation itself drives the curing behaviour under the right process conditions.
Low Temperature, Wide Compatibility
The 100 degree ceiling on curing temperature matters for reasons that extend well beyond energy efficiency. Many commercially important substrates cannot tolerate high temperatures. OLEDs, used in premium displays and increasingly in automotive interior panels, begin to degrade above certain temperature thresholds. TPU films, widely used in automotive wraps and protective films, have limited thermal windows. Polycarbonate and polythiourethane optical substrates used in lenses and screens need coating processes that do not warp, stress, or discolour the base material.
Nanize’s sub-100 degree process opens the technology to these substrates. A coating that cannot be applied to the material that needs protecting is not a useful coating. Nanize removes that constraint.
What the Process Looks Like on a Production Line
Application methods include roll-to-roll coating (continuous web processes used in film and packaging manufacturing), slot-die coating (precise, high-speed coating for flat substrates), and spray coating. These are standard industrial processes. No bespoke equipment is required. The coating is applied by existing methods, and curing is achieved in under 60 seconds in the curing stage of the line.
For high-volume manufacturers, this matters as much as the performance data. A coating that requires a 20-minute cure oven fundamentally limits throughput. A coating that cures in under 60 seconds integrates without changing line speed.
Read the full technical detail at https://nanize.com/our-technology-pfas-free-rapid-curing-polysilazane-coatings-nanize/