A fluoro(poly)ether group-containing silane compound represented by any of the formulae (A1), (A2), (B1), (B2), (C1), or (C2). In the formulae, PFPE is each independently at each occurrence a group represented by the formula: (OC.sub.3F.sub.6).sub.d, wherein the repeating unit OC.sub.3F.sub.6 of the formula includes a branched structure, and d is an integer of 2 or more and 200 or less. The symbols are as defined in the description.

Silicone compositions and methods of using the compositions are provided. The silicone coatings can exhibit improved dirt pick-up resistance and cleanability. The silicone compositions include a polysiloxane, at least one surfactant, and optionally one or more of a pigment, a filler, a crosslinker, an adhesion promoter, a catalyst, additives or solvents.

The present invention is aimed at providing: a surface treatment agent that is capable of forming a surface-treated coating film having excellent antifouling properties; a metal material that includes a surface-treated coating film using the surface treatment agent; and a method of producing the metal material. The present invention provides a surface treatment agent containing: a silicone resin (A); a compound (B) containing a metal element selected from titanium, platinum, rhodium and palladium; and an aromatic hydrocarbon-based solvent (C). In the surface treatment agent, (I) a content of the silicone resin (A) is in a range of 90% by mass to 99.9% by mass with respect to a total solid mass of the silicone resin (A) and the compound (B), and (II) a ratio (B.sub.M/A.sub.M) of a mass (B.sub.M) of the compound (B) to a mass (A.sub.M) of the silicone resin (A) is in a range of 0.001 to 0.111.

A coating film to prevent a conspicuous fingerprint has a water contact angle of no less than 60 so that most of water contained in fingerprints on the coating film evaporates without forming a layer adsorbed on the coating film. Further, the coating film has lipophilicity and has a diiodomethane contact angle of no more than 45 so that the coating film exhibits enhanced affinity to fingerprints, which primarily contain oily components.

A curable composition can have a surface with amphiphilic properties which is thus able to counteract biofouling. The curable composition includes: a component A: at least one polysiloxane, a component B: at least one polyether bearing silyl groups and/or a reaction product of a polyether bearing silyl groups with one or more isocyanate-containing compounds, and a component C: at least one catalyst.

A structure includes a base material; a surface layer that contains a binder resin and a titanium compound particle having absorption at 450 nm and 750 nm in a visible absorption spectrum and a BET specific surface area within a range of 100 m.sup.2/g to 1200 m.sup.2/g.

Durable, anti-fouling, crosslinked zwitterionic coatings that are grafted to the surface of a substrate through covalent bonding are disclosed. When exposed to a light source, zwitterionic monomers react with a crosslinker and with activated radicals at the surface of the substrate, simultaneously forming the crosslinked zwitterionic coating and anchoring it to the surface of the substrate. Photomasking techniques can be used to micropattern the zwitterionic coatings. The zwitterionic coatings can be applied to a variety of substrates, including medical devices and systems.

The embodiments herein relate to a substrate coated with a multi-layer coating system including: optionally a primer layer applied to the substrate and deposited from a primer coating composition; a tie-coat layer applied to the substrate or to the optional primer layer, deposited from a tie-coat composition including a binder polymer obtainable by copolymerizing a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, the binder polymer having curable alkoxysilyl functional groups. The substrate can include a topcoat layer applied to the tie-coat layer, and deposited from a non-aqueous liquid foul release coating composition including a curable resin system including i) a curable polymer and optionally ii) a curing agent and/or a catalyst, where the non-aqueous liquid foul release coating composition is essentially free of a curable polysiloxane.

The present invention belongs to the field of super-hydrophobic surface technology, and discloses a durable hydrophilic-super-hydrophobic bipolar self-cleaning composite film and a preparation method therefor. The preparation method is as follows: adding an epoxy silane coupling agent into an organic solvent; after stirring and mixing well, adding an amine curing agent and distilled water to the mixture; stirring and adding micron-sized solid particles and hydrophobic nano silicon dioxide particles; continuing stirring to obtain a hydrophilic layer solution; adding a hydrophobic modifier and a hydrophilic nano silicon dioxide particles into the solvent to obtain a hydrophobic layer solution; coating a pretreated substrate surface with the hydrophilic layer solution, and performing heating treatment at 60 C. to 80 C. for 10-50 min; then coating the surface with the hydrophobic layer solution, and performing heating treatment at 100 C. to 140 C. for 50-90 min to obtain the durable hydrophilic-super-hydrophobic bipolar self-cleaning composite film. The preparation method of the present invention is simple, and the super-hydrophobic surface of the obtained composite film has strong mechanical durability and a good industrial application prospect.

A self-cleaning external with a self-cleaning aerodynamic surface configured to extract at least some of the oxygen present in the atmosphere in contact with the aerodynamic surface so as to at least partially deprive a haemolymph of the insect residue, present on the aerodynamic surface after being hit by insects, of oxygen. Also, a vehicle with at least one such self-cleaning aerodynamic surface.