Lubricious sol-gel derived polymer-ceramic hybrid thin film
Luna Labs presents a sol-gel derived lubricious thin film with strong adhesion to various substrates. This polymer-ceramic hybrid offers durability and flexibility, ideal for applications needing long-term stability under shear forces and chemical exposure.
Overview
Luna Labs has developed an innovative sol-gel derived thin film coating that combines polymer and ceramic materials to form a hybrid structure. This coating offers exceptional lubricity, strong adhesion, and long-term stability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. The hybrid material forms a durable, flexible, and transparent thin film with covalent bonding throughout the matrix, ensuring stability under shear forces and exposure to chemicals or fluids. The composition can be adjusted to meet specific customer needs, including different film thicknesses, adhesion levels, and lubricity.
Technical specifications
- Polymer-Ceramic Hybrid: The coating combines polymeric and silica ceramic components, curing into a flexible thin film.
- Application Methods: Can be applied via spray, dip, or flow coating, drying to touch within 30 minutes at room temperature or seconds at ~100°C.
- Customizable Properties: Formulation can be tuned for various dry film thicknesses and tailored lubricity.
- Non-Toxic: Safe for skin contact, with components used in cosmetics and medical products.
Technology readiness level
The technology is at TRL 4, indicating that it has been validated in a lab environment. Luna Labs is ready to collaborate with partners to further develop and integrate this solution into existing manufacturing processes. The company is seeking co-development and sponsored research partnerships to optimize and customize the coating for specific applications.
About Luna Labs
Luna Labs is a product development company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, that creates specialized solutions for the defense, industrial, and healthcare sectors. The company leverages a multidisciplinary approach combining materials science, biotechnology, and systems engineering to solve complex technical challenges. By repurposing advanced technologies—such as adapting sol-gel chemistry for corrosion prevention or mimicking viral structures for drug delivery—Luna Labs develops breakthrough innovations. Their diverse portfolio includes advanced protective coatings, real-time asset monitoring systems, medical simulation training tools, and drug delivery platforms designed to improve human performance and safeguard critical infrastructure.
These technologies address significant real-world problems, such as enhancing the durability of military and aerospace assets through non-chromate corrosion control and providing medical professionals with realistic training ecosystems for hemorrhage control. By partnering with government agencies, defense contractors, and leading industrial organizations, the company focuses on advancing research from initial discovery through to commercial-scale implementation. Their commitment to innovation is evidenced by the successful deployment of their technologies in high-stakes environments and their ongoing development of platforms intended to address complex conditions like PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
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