Hybrid Antimicrobial Coating Film With High Metal-Ion Loading

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing coated glass technologies face challenges in introducing a large amount of silver ions, leading to inadequate antibacterial/antiviral functionality, limited durability, and inability to apply these properties to non-glass base materials.

Innovation Solution

A coating film comprising glass particles dispersed with silver, copper, and zinc ions, which are conductive and have high electron conductivity, allowing for a large amount of these ions to be introduced, providing excellent antibacterial, antiviral, and deodorizing functions that can be applied to various base materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If silicon oxide is used as a matrix in the coat, then the coat can suppress yellowing, but it is difficult to introduce a large amount of silver ions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveamount of silver ionsVSAvoidantibacterial/antiviral function
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite matrix consisting of both silicon oxide and boron oxide, combining the yellowing-suppression capability of silicon oxide with the silver ion introduction capability of boron oxide. This composite material approach allows simultaneous achievement of both requirements: suppressing yellowing while introducing large amounts of silver ions for effective antibacterial/antiviral function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the matrix by incorporating boron oxide in addition to silicon oxide. This parameter change enables the matrix to accommodate higher concentrations of silver ions while maintaining the yellowing suppression property, thus resolving the contradiction between silver ion quantity and functional reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the coat is formed only on glass base body, then the manufacturing process is simple, but it cannot impart antibacterial properties to other base materials

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplicability to different base materialsVSAvoidcoating process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent develops a universal coating composition that can be applied to various base materials including glass, plastics, and metals. The coating formulation using silicon oxide-boron oxide matrix with silver ions, copper ions, and zinc ions is designed to adhere to and function on diverse substrates, imparting antibacterial, antiviral, and deodorizing properties universally across different material types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If a large amount of silver ions are introduced, then the antibacterial function is enhanced, but the cost of materials increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantibacterial/antiviral functionVSAvoidcost of metal ions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple metal ions (silver ions, copper ions, and zinc ions) in the coating matrix. This merging approach allows the use of more abundant and less expensive copper and zinc ions to supplement the antibacterial function, reducing reliance on expensive silver ions while maintaining or enhancing overall antibacterial, antiviral, and deodorizing effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The coating film effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and mold fungi, removes unpleasant odors, and maintains these functions for a long duration on any base material, including non-glass surfaces.

Implementation Method 1

the glass particles are conductive glass containing at least one type among silver ions (Ag +), copper ions (Cu +), and zinc ions (Zn +), and have electron conductivity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectron conductivity: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentEP4711423A1Coating film
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 HARDOLASS HLDG CO LTD
  • EP4711423A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4711423A1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(c)
  • EP4711423A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Provided is an organic/inorganic hybrid coating film containing a large amount of silver ions, copper ions, and zinc ions, having an excellent antibacterial/antiviral function, an excellent antifungal function, and an excellent deodorizing function, capable of reliably killing various bacteria, various viruses, and various mold fungi, and capable of reliably removing an unpleasant odor. The organic/inorganic hybrid coating film is a glass-based coating film based on silicon oxide (SiO2), and in the coating film, glass particles are conductive glass composed of at least one type among silver ions (Ag+), copper ions (Cu2+), and zinc ions (Zn2+), and the glass particles include glass based on at least one type among vanadium oxide (V2O5), tungsten oxide (WO3), and molybdenum oxide (MoO3), and phosphorus oxide (P2O5).