History of Liquid Glass Technology
It all started in Paris in 1845, when J.J. Ebelmen, a French scientist first discovered the Sol Gel process. In simple terms, he discovered that by manipulating a liquid which contained silica he could create glass. This was a very interesting theoretical discovery but at this time all that he was left with was small lumps of glass which were of no specific use. The next major step came in 1939 when the Schott Glaswerke company of Germany started to re-examine the technology.
After a further 20 years of research they started to produce the first items coated with *SiO2; however, the processes were still complex and expensive. Evidently continued R&D was called for. Whilst the world was focusing on the space race, the computer revolution and the genome projects, the scientific community in Germany was creating “liquid glass technology” which could be applied on a DIY basis. The target being, to produce an undetectable coating, which could protect and enhance almost any surface. At the start of the millennium such coatings became available for the first time.
It has now been over 150 years since the discovery of the Sol Gel process and advances are continually being made. We are now able to bring you the 3rd Generation of Liquid Glass Technology via which we offer more efficient coatings, at reduced cost to the consumer.
*Silica (silicon dioxide or SiO2) is one of the most common chemical compounds.
What is Liquid Glass Technology
Liquid Glass is an exceptional, truly remarkable, multi award winning technology which allows the end user to protect both industrial and domestic surfaces with an ultrathin super durable coating of invisible, easy to clean, glass.
In essence the technology allows the end user to deposit a nano scale layer of molecular, particle free glass (500 times thinner than a human hair), onto the surface of most items. The molecules of glass (silicon dioxide / SiO2) come from pure quartz sand, of which there are vast reserves, as silicon dioxide is one of the most abundant compounds on the planet. Just like domestic glass the coatings are chemically inert and highly resistant to commonly used cleaning chemicals.
Liquid Glass is a natural and eco-friendly technology which can be used to protect almost any surface.
For example:
- In healthcare and food production, where cleanliness is vital, the coatings have proven to be the answer to the problems associated with difficult to clean surfaces which previously were a breeding ground for bacteria.
- In the auto industry, where paint protection, stain proofing and rain repellent surfaces are sought, SiO2 coatings have proven to be the chosen technology.
- In the aviation sector where interior and exterior surfaces have to be protected, SiO2 technology is being rapidly adopted.
But above all, most people are amazed by the fact that a film of Liquid Glass which is only 100nm (approximately 500 times thinner than a human hair) can be so incredibly durable. Some of our domestic coatings can withstand 100,000 wiping actions; some of our industrial coatings can withstand many 100s of thousands of wiping actions.
The application of the Liquid Glass range of products is amazingly straight forward. After preparatory cleaning, items such as wash basins, windscreens, and fabrics can be coated in a matter of seconds. Significantly most coated surfaces can be cleaned with water alone, this of course massively reduces the use of environmentally damaging cleaning products.
We are very proud to be responsible for the distribution of this stunning, multi award winning technology, which has been described as “one of the world’s most versatile new technologies”.
CRYSTALTECH NANO, distributed by APL Protect (Pty) Ltd in South Africa, focusses on bringing liquid glass technology to the hands of businesses and end users. Each product in our range is designed to serve a specific purpose to meet our customers’ requirements. All our Liquid Glass products are manufactured in Germany.