P2i is a nanotechnology development company that works with manufacturers to produce liquid repellent nano-coating protection to products for the electronics, lifestyle, life sciences, filtration and Energy, and military and institutional sectors. The company was established in 2004 to commercialize technologies developed by the UK MoD's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory. In further research and development, the company has identified innovative applications, equipment and processing methods, and now has 170+ patents, patent applications and utility model applications. In 2010 the company acquired Surface Innovations Limited, adding new technologies such as antimicrobial, super hydrophilic and protein resistance coatings. In addition to headquarters in the United Kingdom, P2i has a processing facility in the United States, offices in Shenzhen, China and Taipei City, Taiwan, and representation in Korea. As of February 2016 P2i had deployed hundreds of its nano-coating systems globally, including factories in Brazil, Argentina, USA, China, India, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.
Technology
The treatment decreases the surface energy of objects by adding an perfluorinated carbon polymer coating onto exposed surfaces. The coating reduces the disruption of intermolecular bonds within a liquid. Liquids thus tend to bead up instead of penetrating or absorbing into the object. The treatment process coats objects using a pulsed plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus at room temperature. The coating is introduced as a vapor and ionized. This deposits a polymerized layer of the plasma monomers, which binds covalently and durably to the object's surface. The mild temperature and pressure conditions of this process permit a broad variety of items and materials to be treated. Occurring at low pressure, the coating penetrates complex three-dimensional objects, protecting it internally and externally in the one process. The coating, being very thin, does not alter the look or feel of solid objects, or the vapor porosity of fabrics.
History
P2i's process is based on the research and development work of Stephen Coulson and Jas Pal Badyal at Durham University. Coulson's work was funded by the United Kingdom's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory which aimed to protect clothing from water and other liquids while maximizing comfort. P2i Ltd was established as a stand-alone company in 2004, as the first DSTL technology spin-out managed by Ploughshare Innovations. On 13 July 2010, P2i announced the acquisition of Surface Innovations Ltd, a UK-based technology company with several functional nano-coating patent families in areas such as anti-bacterial resistance and liquid attracting.
Applications and brands
According to P2i's website, current applications for its technology are in the categories of ‘Electronics, Lifestyle, Life Sciences, Filtration & Energy and Military & Institutional’ For consumer-facing products the company has created sector-specific trademarked brands. The ion-mask brand was used in lifestyle products such as footwear, outdoor clothing and accessories. ion-mask products were on sale from several international footwear companies including Timberland, Nike, adidas Golf, Hi-Tec, Magnum Boots, Van Dal, Teva, and K-Swiss. P2i's nano-coating, is used in consumer electronics, focusing initially on the hearing aid sector where the company claims to be applied to 70% of the world's hearing devices. In 2013, P2i diversified its marketing, replacing Aridion with the term Splash-proof, to identify the traditional hydrophobic layer technology. P2i has partnered with Motorola and Huawei and several other top smartphone brands, as well as another leading Chinese manufacturers. P2i has the capability to treat over half a billion phones in 2019.
