Safer Driving Conditions
- How is the DIAMON-FUSION® process applied?
- Onwhat surfaces does DFI nanotechnology work?
- What is Nanotechnology?
- Why is DIAMON-FUSION® not applicable on plastics or metals?
- How does the DIAMON-FUSION® process work?
- Once treated with the DIAMON-FUSION® process, will I still need to clean my glass, tile, porcelain or granite?
- What care and maintenance does DIAMON-FUSION® require?
- Does DFI have any other easy-to-clean products than can be also applied to metals and plastics?
- Is DFI Nanotechnology environmentally friendly?
- What is the difference between the so called 'self-cleaning' glass and DFI's coating?
- What are the differences between hydrophilic and hydrophobic coatings? Are they bothresistant to scratches?
- What does 'contact angle' mean?
- When was DFI's technology patented? How many more years is DFI's patent valid for?
- Is DFI's coating colorless?
- Where is DFI nanotechnology manufactured?
- Are the chemicals used in the DIAMON-FUSION® vapor process the same as the ones used in the New DIAMON-FUSION® spray/wipe-on system?
- Is the impact resistance (on glass) of the DFI coating similar to tempered glass?
- Is there any warranty on the DIAMON-FUSION® product?
1. How is the DIAMON-FUSION® process applied?
There are two application methods: The first is the ultra efficient batch
method (for higher volumes, industrial applications), applied with a vapor
deposition system on an engineered chamber (air-tight room). The second
method is our NEW wipe-on/spray system which uses a liquid in a hand-applied
portable fashion; both create our special "cross-linked and branched,
capped silicone films" covered in our patents.
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2. On what surfaces does DFI nanotechnology work?
DFI nanotechnology chemically reacts with all silica-based surfaces such
as glass, ceramic tile, granite and porcelain, as well as other products
that contain silica.
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3. What is Nanotechnology?
Nanoscale technologies are the development and use of devices that have
a size of only a few nanometers. The prefix nano means ten to the minus
ninth power, or one billionth. Nanotechnology is measured at the atomic,
molecular or macromolecular levels, in the length scale of approximately
1 - 100 nanometer range. Although the main applications of Nanotechnology
have been developed in the computer and electronics fields, some other
current uses that are already in the marketplace include:
Stain-free clothing
Coatings for easier cleaning of glass surfaces
Bumpers and catalytic converters on cars
Protective and glare-reducing coatings for eyeglasses and cars
Sunscreens and cosmetics
Longer-lasting tennis balls
Light-weight, stronger tennis racquets
Ink
Water filtration
Step assists on vans
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4. Why is DIAMON-FUSION® not applicable on plastics or metals?
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5. How does the DIAMON-FUSION® process work DFI's nanotechnology, patented in the US and branded under the Diamon-Fusion® trademark, uses a two-stage chemical process. The chemical reaction created in the first stage causes a "cross-linked" and "branched" ultra thin silicone film (nanofilm) to be grown from below the surface out. The second stage 'caps' the entire chain of atoms. This unique 'capping' substantially increases the hydrophobicity and durability, leaving, chemically speaking, no points of attachment for contaminants and creating a truly repellant charge. Through simple neutralization, all chemicals become inert within a few seconds. No curing time is needed since the chemical reaction itself occurs in less than 2 seconds.
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6. Once treated with the DIAMON-FUSION® process, will I still need to clean my glass, tile, porcelain or granite?
Yes, you will. The DIAMON-FUSION® coating REDUCES cleaning time but it does not eliminate it entirely. DIAMON-FUSION® is similar to the development of Teflon®* for cooking pans. While you can cook food in uncoated pans, it is so much easier to clean if you cook with Teflon®* coated pans. While you still must maintain your DIAMON-FUSION® coated surface, the time and effort required are significantly reduced.
* Teflon® is a registered trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company
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7. What care and maintenance does DIAMON-FUSION® require?
Maintenance and care vary substantially according to the type of application
(treated surface type and location/exposure) and the abrasion to which
the treated material is exposed to. Abrasion means any mechanical (such
as windshield wiper on an automobile) or non-mechanical force (such as
wind or dust) affecting the treated product. Thus, an exterior architectural
glass structure exposed to all kinds of weather conditions will require
a much different maintenance and care than an interior kitchen granite
countertop, a porcelain sink lavatory or a ceramic tile bathroom wall.
While DIAMON-FUSION® does make treated surfaces water and oil repellent,
stain and scratch resistant, among other properties, and lasts for a long
period of time (years in most cases), maintenance time is guaranteed to
be reduced, depending on the application, by as much as 50% and up to
90%. DIAMON-FUSION® eliminates the need of any HARSH, EXPENSIVE and
TOXIC CHEMICAL CLEANING SPRAYS. Please contact a DFI Licensee in your
area for the specific maintenance recommendations relating to your application.
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8. Does DFI have any other easy-to-clean products than can be also applied
to metals and plastics?
YES, in fact we do. The NEW Diamon-Fusion® Revitalizer/Protectant
is our most recent end-user friendly development and can be effectively
applied as protective coating on most plastic and metallic surfaces as
well as a reconditioner for the Diamon-Fusion® Nanotech coating. This
product can be used to recondition Diamon-Fusion® treated surfaces
when their repellency begins to wane. Think of it as a 3,000 mile (or
3,000 km) oil change on your car. It's that simple maintenance that keeps
the engine lasting for years. The same is true for a Diamon-Fusion®
treated surface. No maintenance will affect the durability and overall
performance.
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9. Is DFI Nanotechnology environmentally friendly?
DFI Nanotechnology is based on an environmentally safe scientific process.
The chemicals used in our patented process have been in use for over 55
years (since early 1945) in the aviation industry, for different applications,
and are not found in the "Clean Air Act”(1) or the “Clean
Water Act”(2). There are also no PELS (permissible exposure limits)
set by OSHA (3). We have implemented, with our extreme eco-friendly philosophy,
the highest standards in the handling of our chemicals so that any scientific
process we may use is safe to the environment. Thus, we have engineered
an ultra efficient yet simple neutralization system that renders our chemicals
and their by-products completely safe and inert. We strive not only to
protect the environment but to preserve it from any contamination or pollution.
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10. What is the difference between the so called 'self-cleaning' glass and DFI's coating? ‘Self-cleaning’ glass consists of a hydrophilic (SEE #13) coating with photocatalytic properties fused into the glass at high temperatures during the manufacturing process. The coating reacts with the sun’s ultraviolet light and water (rain or a water spray). Thus, these two elements (sunlight and water) must be present for the coating to be effective, creating a sheeting action so that water can easily rinse the loosened dirt away. Due to its integral characteristics, there are many limitations to this concept of "self-cleaning", such as the following: glass must receive both sunlight and water, it is not applicable to all kinds of glass, cannot be applied in the field but rather at manufacturing level only (thus making repair or replacement a lot more expensive), it’s typically more than 4 times, and up to 10 times, more expensive than hydrophobic coatings. By contrast, DFI’s hydrophobic coating requires no ‘activation’ since it chemically reacts during its own process in less than 2 seconds and immediately bonds to the surface. Although other theories refer to the "self-cleaning" glass as those coatings with contact angles in excess of 105º, where the mechanical action required is virtual unnecessary and no accumulation of contaminants occurs, we strongly believe that the misconception of self-cleaning is contrary to the reality and expectations of an end-user.
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11. What are the differences between hydrophilic and hydrophobic coatings? Are they both resistant to scratches?
The terms hydrophilic and hydrophobic both indicate an affinity with water: hydrophilic means water attracting (such as most of the so-called ‘self-cleaning-glass’- SEE #12) and hydrophobic, on the contrary, means water repellant. While hydrophilic coatings are not highly resistant to scratches and may be even more susceptible to scratches (scratches may tend to show more easily), DFI’s hydrophobic coating is highly resistant to scratches.
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12. What does 'contact angle' mean?
The contact angle, also called ‘wetting angle’, is the angle formed by the material's surface and the tangent of the interface between the fluid (i.e.: water) and the environment at the liquid/ solid (i.e.: glass surface) point of contact. SEE GRAPHIC BELOW (typical contact angle on untreated glass surface).
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13. When was DFI's technology patented? How many more years is DFI's patent
valid for?
DFI nanotechnology’s patent, a “capped silicone film and method
of manufacture thereof”, was issued in the United Sates on June
12, 2001 , by the US Patent and Trademark Office. DFI’s patent is
valid for 20 YEARS from the date of its issuance (good through June 12,
2021 ). Diamon-Fusion International, Inc. is the Assignee of the Patent
and Don Hayden, PhD, DFI’s Chief Scientist, is the Inventor. DFI
also has a patent issued in Australia along with patents pending around
the world.
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14. Is DFI's coating colorless?
YES. DIAMON-FUSION® is in fact optically clear and is guaranteed NOT
to discolor, chip, haze or peel off since the chemical bond created is
permanent and integral to the substrate at nanoscale levels.
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15. Where is DFI nanotechnology manufactured?
DFI has associations, on a worldwide basis, with some of the world’s
largest chemical labs that supply DFI with certain chemical mixtures to
manufacture DFI technologies. However, DFI manufactures most of its products
at its production facility in CALIFORNIA , United States .
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16. Are the chemicals used in the DIAMON-FUSION® vapor process the
same as the ones used in the New DIAMON-FUSIO7® spray/wipe-on system?
NO. Each process is manufactured with a different mixture of chemical,
although the end result (final product) IS the same: a crossed-linked,
branched and capped silicone film.
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17. Is the impact resistance (on glass) of the DFI coating similar to
tempered glass?
NO. Tempered glass is much stronger than regular (annealed) glass and
when broken, it shatters into many small fragments which prevent major
injuries, thus providing superior strength and safety properties. The
tempering property is created by a heating and cooling process of the
glass to set up internal stresses so that the surfaces are under compression.
This strengthens the glass, since glass breaks only in tension, and to
break the glass, the built-in compression must be overcome. DIAMON-FUSION®
does not provide any additional strength per se but rather resistance
to impacts due to the lower coefficient of friction accomplished by its
nanochemistry. Tests have shown that the weight of a debris particle required
to crack a piece of glass that has been treated with DIAMON-FUSION®
would need to be 10 times heavier than the weight required to crack an
untreated piece of glass (Dr. LaCourse thesis- University of Alfred, New
York).
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18. Is there any warranty on the DIAMON-FUSION® product?
YES. Each licensee typically provides a warranty according to the treated
product. However, DFI has no control and/or liability over each licensee’s
warranty guidelines or performance since the product itself is manufactured
by each licensee. DFI’s core business is the licensing of its patented
technology along with all its trade secrets, trademarks, industrial designs,
operational drawings and specifications. Warranties are provided independently
by each licensee in accordance to each licensee’s respective marketing
strategy and business operations.
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