Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun Article

The following article appeared in The Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun (a Japanese newspaper covering industrial matters) on July 4, 2019

Note that Arc Coat is exactly the same product as Dglass Coat but only under another name.

Pencil Hardness of Over 9H Achieved (see pencil hardness for explanation)

The glass coating technology “Arc Coat” by ARC FLASH (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, Toru Sasakawa, 03-5337-7275) has been gaining increasing attention. The coating creates a very strong pencil hardness of 9H or more on surfaces. Already used as a surface protection coating for cars as well as a screen protector for smart phones, new applications to include protecting the surface layers of solar panels and LCD displays are also being explored.

It consists of a solvent obtained by diluting a polysilazane mixture, which is a functional coating solution, into dibutyl ether. When applied to a surface and water is applied, a hydrolysis reaction creates a glass laminate film that has a stone wall structure. When properly applied to the base material, “It is extremely long lasting and durable coating that also provides very smooth layer of glass” (Company President Sasakawa).

In an experiment, a 67 gram iron ball was dropped on a blue glass sheet that was 100 millimeters square and 2 millimeters thick. While the untreated glass broke when the ball was dropped from 45 centimeters, the glass treated with Arc Coat did not break at a height of 130 centimeters.

In addition to many inquiries from China, the company is aiming to steadily expand with applications to include demonstration experiments on ship propellers.

PDF file of original article and Japanese below.

鉛筆硬度9H超を達成

アークフラッシュ本部（東京都新宿区、笹川透社長、03-5337-7275）のガラス塗膜形成技術「アークコート」が注文されている。超高硬度となる鉛筆硬度9H以上を達成。すでに自動車塗装面やスマートフォンの表面保護コーティングとして採用されたほか、太陽光パネルの表面層の保護や液晶表示装置（LCD）用ガラスパネルの保護など、用途拡大に期待が高まっている。

　機能性コーティング液であるポリシラザン混合物をシブチルエーテルで希釈した溶剤を基材に塗布し加水反応させることで、石垣構造のガラス積層膜を形成する。基材と強固に密着しながら、「対候性や耐久性に優れ、ガラス層表面の平滑度は高い」（笹川社長）。

　100ミリメートル角で2ミリメートル厚の青板ガラス67グラムの鉄球を落下し、割れた高さの値を調べた実験では、アークコート無しの場合、45センチメートルで割れたのに対し、アークコートを塗布したガラスは130センチメートルまで割れなかったという。

　足元では中国の引き合いが強いほか、船舶用プロペラでの実証実験の進むなど、着実な用途拡大を狙う。

日刊工業新聞　　2019年7月4日記事