DC
FLITE Material Sciences · Supplier
Laser nanotexturing tunes a silicone surface to shed or hold water and oil, with no thermal damage to the part.
Pilot/trialIn-development
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Receive a weekly email digest of the latest surface coatings added by the network.Browse 1,894 solutions in surface treatment and coatings on the Halo network
Updated Nov 2, 2026
Surface treatment and coatings covers changing what a surface does, not what it is made of. On Halo, the solutions cover surface preparation and process control, renewable coating chemistry, barrier coatings, and coatings that do active work. Sign up to search the full network and post your specific need.
Low friction, non-stick and easy-clean
DC
SB
IBC Materials and Technologies, LLC · Supplier
Low-friction coatings on forming tooling, cutting wear and metal particles.
In-development
Surface preparation and process control
KS
Polymerize · Startup
Reads lab data and proposes the next coating or polymer formulation.
Co-developmentIn-development
Turgut Umur
caykur · Startup
A nano-polymer coating for scratch, abrasion and acid on hard surfaces.
Co-developmentIn-development
Renewable coating chemistry
AU
University of Alberta
Lignin converted into oligomers for coatings and high-strength adhesives.
Sponsored researchEarly-stage
UO
Depolymerized lignin replacing the fossil precursor in polyurethane.
LicensingIn-development
Barrier coatings
Sascha Schwindt
Nanopool GmbH · Supplier
A polymer-free silica barrier coating for paper cups, paperboard and molded fiber food packaging.
LicensingIn-development
RC
Nanoclay coating, FDA approved and clear, removing the metallized layer.
LicensingIn-development
Coatings that do active work
HR
Monash University, Melbourne
A rooftop photocatalyst turning CO2 into formate, and a carbon credit.
In-development
SB
SolCold · Startup
Photonic cooling giving 170 W per square metre with no power drawn.
In-development
UV-curable and matte finishes
Alex LI
U-Sunny Technology (Uychem) · Startup
A self-matting urethane acrylate that cures under LED and skips matting powder.
In-development
SH
The same self-matting approach for wood and PVC, with formulation service.
In-development
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Who is working on surface treatment and coatings
Organizations in surface treatment and coatings
Universities, startups, and suppliers with solutions in surface coatings.
Surface coatings organizations
Innovators in surface treatment and coatings
Researchers and inventors advancing surface coatings.
Surface coatings expertsAbout surface treatment and coatings
Stopping something from sticking is the largest theme on Halo, across forming tooling, drill strings, packaging, toilets and ice on a shield. Behind it sit barrier layers, UV-curable finishes, and a small group of coatings that do active work: cooling a roof passively, or turning CO2 into formate. On Halo it spans six groups, including surface preparation and process control, renewable coating chemistry, and barrier coatings.
Stage of development. Work on surface treatment and coatings on Halo comes mostly from companies. 39% of the solutions are in market. Sponsored research and co-development are the usual partnering routes, and about 41% of the solutions that state terms offer pilot engagements.
Three trends in surface coatings on Halo
Eight ways to stop something sticking. Forming tooling wearing out, drill strings clogging, a toilet holding soil, a tube retaining product, ice bonded to a shield. The chemistry varies from sol-gel to graphene to an auxetic organogel to polymer dopants blasted onto metal with no wet binder, and the requirement is the same in every case: the surface has to release.
Coatings that do a job, not just resist one. Three entries perform active work. A rooftop photocatalyst that converts CO2 into formate and generates a carbon credit doing it, a passive photonic cooler giving 170 watts per square metre with no power drawn, and nanocomposite films on luminaire optics designed by inverse machine learning. Each one is a device thin enough to spray.
Lignin is the renewable feedstock of choice. Three entries from one program convert lignin into coating and polymer chemistry: oligomers for coatings, depolymerized lignin replacing the fossil precursor in polyurethane, and a higher-yield polyol route with the toxic solvent removed. Lignin is aromatic, abundant and currently burned, which is the case each one makes.
1,497organizations
1,894solutions listed
75%from startups and companies
39%in market
Frequently asked questions
What are surface coatings?
Surface treatment and coatings covers changing what a surface does, and leaving what it is made of alone. It spans low-friction, non-stick and easy-clean chemistry, barrier coatings that block gas or moisture, UV-curable and matte finishes, antimicrobial and antifouling layers, coatings that perform an active function such as cooling or capturing CO2, renewable coating chemistry drawn from lignin, and the surface preparation and process control around them.
What are examples of surface coatings?
Five examples of surface coatings on Halo include:
- Low-friction coatings on forming tooling, cutting wear and metal particles. (IBC Materials and Technologies, LLC)
- Laser cleaning that strips a refractory surface and leaves the substrate. (FLITE Material Sciences)
- Lignin converted into oligomers for coatings and high-strength adhesives. (University of Alberta)
- Nanoclay coating, FDA approved and clear, removing the metallized layer. (Nova Chemicals)
- A rooftop photocatalyst turning CO2 into formate, and a carbon credit. (Monash University, Melbourne)
Which companies and suppliers are developing surface coatings?
There are 1,497 organizations with surface coatings on Halo, 316 of them universities and research institutions. Among them are FLITE Material Sciences, IBC Materials and Technologies, LLC, and Polymerize. Most offer sponsored research or co-development. Sign up to see every organization working in the area and to send them your specific need.
How do I find surface coatings research partners?
Browsing surface coatings on Halo is free. Sign up to search the full network and save the ones you want. Post your specific need to get exact matches. Organizations reply directly on the platform.
What are R&D teams looking for in surface coatings?
Over the past 12 months, R&D teams on Halo have posted these surface coatings needs:
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