Daikin America: Optool

OPTOOL is a Daikin brand and product line that is derived from PFPE’s (perfluoropolyether) containing different functional groups that allow for covalent bonding of the fluoropolymer directly to a surface. Alternatively, Daikin also makes one grade, Optool DAC-HP, that can bond within a functional coating matrix when used as a coating additive.

Optool DSX Ideal for glass & silica-rich substrates
Optool DAC-HP Additive for Acrylic Hardcoats		Optool UD509 Ideal for additional surface slip properties & abrasion resistance
Optool UD120 Ideal for enhanced weather resistance and UV-durability

What is the difference between a hydrophobic coating and an oleophobic coating?

Hydrophobic coating materials repel water, and water won’t readily or completely wet a hydrophobic surface. Oleophobic coating materials repel oils.

Very often a hydrophobic surface will actually attract oil, while an oleophobic surface will attract water. This being said, there is value to generating a surface that is both hydrophobic and oleophobic (water repellent and oil repellent). Surfaces that are capable of repelling both oil and water are called omniphobic and can be generated with omniphobic coating mateirals like Optool. This omniphobic property of Optool contributes to the generation of easy-clean or anti-fingerprint surfaces.

What is the definition of a “keep-clean” surface?

A surface that is described as “keep-clean” has usually been treated with a few very specific brands of Daikin material. Optool PFPE nanocoatings are one such brand that generates a keep-clean surface. This means that the surface is extremely difficult to soil or smudge and thus it “keeps clean”. Think of this like the first line of defense against a dirty surface.

What is the definition of an “easy-to-clean” surface?

An “easy-to-clean” surface is one that has also usually been treated with a few very specific brands of Daikin material. Optool PFPE coatings inherently generate an easy-to-clean surface. This means that a surface will allow for easy removal of contaminants that do happen to be deposited onto a surface. Think of this as an embedded second line of defense against a dirty surface.

Is there any surface coating that is 100% anti-fingerprint or fingerprint repellent?

Anti-fingerprint is essentially a jargon term used in certain industries. It refers to a surface, like those of ophthalmic lenses, to which it is rather difficult to deposit fingerprints (similar to the idea of keep-clean surface technology). Surfaces with Optool keep-clean technology, however, are more than just “anti-fingerprint” and actually make a surface more repellent to all oil-based dirt (and don’t forget, they are easy-to-clean too, and thus are more simple to remove smudges from as well!).

As of this writing, there is no durable nanocoating that is 100% effective in repelling all fingerprints. The combination of surface properties – mechanical durabilty, outdoor durability, high water contact angle, and high oil contact angle – derived from Optool easy-to-clean and keep-clean coating technology is extraordinarily effective, but Daikin’s top scientists are still working on maximizing all of those characteristics in a truly 100% fingeprint repellent surface.

What does one mean by the term “omniphobic”?

Strictly speaking, omniphobic means that something “fears” or repels all. In practice, omniphobic coatings are simultaneously hydrophic and oleophobic. Some industries, however, have phobicities that are particular to them. For example, the consumer electronics industry values fingerprint resistant coatings which allow for fingerprint repellency and fingerprint deposition resistance while the medical textile industry uses the term “hemophobic”, or blood-repellent, to describe the ability of the personal protective equipment (PPE) to resist blood from penetrating its surface.

What industries use Optool coatings today?

Optool is used as a hydrophobic coating, superhydrophobic coating, oleophobic coating, or omniphobic coating in a variety of industries. The phobic nature of an Optool coating is what generates the easy-to-clean and keep-clean functionalities that have become important to the following applications:

• Consumer electronics touch screens
• Home decor that is high-touch, like faucets
• Ophthalmic lenses with anti-reflective (AR) coatings on them
• High end automotive glass surface coatings (Lidar, displays, and windshields)
• Appliances with metallic surfaces
• Many other niche applications