A coated substrate includes a soft coating deposited by physical vapor deposition provided on at least a part of at least one main face of the substrate. The coated substrate also includes a protective coating provided on at least a part of the main face above the soft coating. A process for making a coated substrate includes a soft coating and a protective coating.

A durable, hydrophobic and anti-scratching nano-coating for coating on a glass substrate or surface having a water contact angle of about 90° or more, a reduced coefficient of friction by 50% or more, and a reduced surface roughness compared to those of the glass substrate or surface without the nano-coating is provided, which includes a layer of fluorinated silica derived from sol-gel hydrolysis between one or more tetraalkoxysilanes having at least three alkoxy groups and one or more polyfluorinated silanes having at least a trialkoxysilane and from 15 to 17 fluorine atoms in the presence of a catalyst to a reaction mixture of the sol-gel hydrolysis between the one or more tetraalkoxysilanes and the one or more polyfluorinated silanes, and a solvent. A related method of fabricating the nano-coating via atomization of acid-containing or alkali-containing solution and sol-gel precursor solution onto the glass surface is also provided.

A method for applying a coating to a surface includes the step of providing a reaction mixture comprising a silicon alkoxide and an alcohol. A reaction limiting amount of water is added. The silicon alkoxides and water are allowed to react to form silica precursor particles during an initial reaction period. A coating precursor composition is prepared by adding an acid soluble in the alcohol to the reaction mixture during a second reaction period after the initial reaction period. The precursor silica particles grow to form silica nanofeatures having a major dimension that is larger than a major dimension of the silica precursor particles. The coating precursor composition is applied to a surface, and the alcohol and water are allowed to evaporate and the silica nanofeatures to adhere to the surface and form a nanostructured layer on the surface. A coating precursor composition and a coated article are also disclosed.

A quartz glass crucible 1 having a cylindrical side wall portion 10a, a bottom portion 10b, and a corner portion 10c includes a transparent layer 11 as an innermost layer made of quartz glass, a semi-molten layer 13 as an outermost layer made of raw material silica powder solidified in a semi-molten state, and a bubble layer 12 made of quartz glass interposed therebetween. An infrared transmissivity of the corner portion 10c in a state where the semi-molten layer 13 is removed is 25 to 51%, the infrared transmissivity of the corner portion 10c in the state where the semi-molten layer 13 is removed is lower than an infrared transmissivity of the side wall portion 10a, and the infrared transmissivity of the side wall portion 10a in the state where the semi-molten layer 13 is removed is lower than an infrared transmissivity of the bottom portion 10b.

A thin-film coating applicator assembly is disclosed for coating substrates in outdoor applications. The innovative thin-film coating applicator assembly is adapted to apply performance enhancement coatings on installed photovoltaic panels and glass windows in outdoor environments. The coating applicator is adapted to move along a solar panel or glass pane while applicator mechanisms deposit a uniform layer of liquid coating solution to the substrate's surface. The applicator assembly comprises a conveyance means disposed on a frame. Further disclosed are innovative applicator heads that comprise a deformable sponge-like core surrounded by a microporous layer. The structure, when in contact with a substrate surface, deposits a uniform layer of coating solution over a large surface.

The present disclosure provides a member having a porous layer containing particles and having a low refractive index and high film strength and a coating liquid for forming a porous layer containing particles, wherein the porous layer contains a plurality of silicon oxide particles bound by an inorganic binder and at least one acid.

A process for the preparation of an antimicrobial coating solution includes the steps of: (i) mixing a chelating agent with titanium alkoxide and fluoroacetic acid; and (ii) adding an aqueous solution to the mixture from step (i). The antimicrobial coating is visible light activated and can be applied to surfaces and optionally heat treated to form a transparent layer on the surface.

A method for preparing an optically transparent, superomniphobic coating on a substrate, such as an optical substrate, is disclosed. The method includes providing a glass layer disposed on a substrate, the glass layer having a first side adjacent the substrate and an opposed second side, the glass layer comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide in a first glass phase and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide in a second glass phase, such that a glass layer has a composition in a spinodal decomposition region. The method further includes heating the second side of the glass layer to form a phase-separated portion of the layer, the phase-separated portion comprising an interpenetrating network of silicon oxide domains and boron oxide domains, and removing at least a portion of the boron oxide domains from the phase-separated portion to provide a graded layer disposed on the substrate. The graded layer has a first side disposed adjacent the substrate, the first side comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide, and opposite the first side, a porous second side comprising at least 45 wt. % silicon oxide and no more than 5 wt. % boron oxide.

A method and an apparatus for embossing a pattern into a varnish on a sheet-like substrate are provided. The method applies a planar stamp using a roller, while the apparatus includes a roller having a planar stamp.

The invention relates to a coated glass substrate or glass ceramic substrate with resistant, multi-functional surface properties, including a combination of anti-microbial, anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint properties, or a combination of anti-microbial, anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint properties where the substrate is chemically pre-stressed, or a combination of anti-microbial and anti-reflective properties where the substrate is chemically pre-stressed. The coated glass substrate or glass ceramic substrate exhibits a unique combination of functions which are permanently present and do not exert a negative effect on each other.