P2i

P2i Ltd

Type	Private
Genre	Nanotechnology
Founded	2004
Headquarters	Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
Area served	Global
Key people	Carl D Francis (CEO) Ady Moores (CFO) Dr Stephen Coulson (CTO) Eric Cohill (President, P2i Inc) Simon Kellard (Group Operations Director) Nick Rimmer (Applications Director
Products	Functional nano-coatings
Website	www.p2ilabs.com

P2i is a nano-coatings technology company, operating internationally, which has developed a family of patents in liquid-repellent nano-coatings nano-coating technology based upon UK defense research.^[1] The technology can be adapted to provide a range of treatments for different applications.

Technology

The company’s platform technology is based on original PhD research ^[2] carried out in the late 1990s by P2i's Chief Technology Officer, Dr Stephen Coulson, within the Functional Surfaces group led by Professor Jas Pal Badyal at Durham University ^[3]

The technology grows a highly hydrophobic, nanoscopic (40-80 nm) polymer layer, based on perfluorinated carbon compounds, over the entire surface of an object, through the action of a special pulsed, ionized gas plasma, created within a vacuum at room temperature . The nano-coating has the effect of lowering surface energy, down to one third that of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), which in turn imparts hydrophobic properties.^[4]

Video footage shows that water and other liquids form beads and roll off when placed in contact with nano-thin polymer treated products ^[5] P2i claims the process attaches the polymer with covalent bonds and becomes part of the surface of the material it is attached to ^[6]

P2i claims that its nano-coating technology can impart or enhance liquid repellency with a diverse range of materials, including polymers, metals, fabrics, leather, ceramics, glass and paper. It also claims that the nano-coating is effective in protecting complex, 3D objects incorporating several different materials, thanks to the gas-phase operation of the polymerization process ^[7][8]

History

Coulson’s research project was funded by the DSTL which wished to protect clothing from water and other liquids whilst maximizing confort. P2i Ltd was established as a stand-alone company in 2004, as the first DSTL technology spin-out managed by Ploughshare Innovations (the DSTL’s technology transfer company)^[9]

On 13 July 2010, P2i announced the acquisition of Surface Innovations Ltd, a UK-based technology company with several functional nano-coating patent families in areas such as anti-bacterial resistance and liquid attracting (super wettable)^[10]

Applications, brands and licensees

According to P2i’s website, current applications for its technology are in the categories of ‘Electronics, Lifestyle, Life Sciences, Filtration & Energy and Military & Institutional’ ^[11] For consumer-facing products the company has created sector-specific trademarked brands. The ion-mask brand ^[12] is used in lifestyle products such as footwear, outdoor clothing and accessories (gloves and headwear). ion-mask products are on sale from several international footwear companies including Timberland,^[13] Nike,^[14] adidas Golf,^[15] Hi-Tec,^[16] Magnum Boots,^[17] Van Dal,^[18] Teva,^[19] and K-Swiss.^[20]

The Aridion brand, ^[21] is used in consumer electronics, focusing initially on the hearing aid sector where the company now claims to have processed over 5m devices.^[22]

Locations

P2i Ltd has a head office on the MEPC Milton Park campus near Oxford, UK,^[23] but there are also two wholly owned subsidiaries in the US: P2i Inc and P2i Processing Centres Inc.^[24] These operate across two US facilities: a US Technology Center based at the Herty Advanced Material Development Center in Savannah, Georgia;^[25] and a US Processing Centre based in Beaverton, Oregon.^[26] On 14 September 2010, P2i announced the opening of an office in Singapore to serve the ASPAC region.^[27]

References

1. ^ "Dr David Harris, DSTL". The Engineer. 16 April 2009. http://www.theengineer.co.uk/in-depth/dr-david-harris-dstl/310787.article. Retrieved 1 March 2011. 
2. ^ "Durham University publications". http://www.dur.ac.uk/jps.badyal/Publications.html. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
3. ^ "Welcome to Professor Badyal’s Research Group". http://www.dur.ac.uk/jps.badyal/index.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
4. ^ "Durham University publications". http://www.dur.ac.uk/jps.badyal/Publications.html. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
5. ^ "P2I: Introduction to P2I publisher=Youtube.com". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjhUAJ5ZOwo. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
6. ^ "British boffins perfect process to make any item '100% waterproof'". Hardware. http://www.reghardware.com/2008/08/27/new_waterproofing_technology_pioneered_by_uk_firm/. Retrieved 2011-02-03. 
7. ^ S.R. Coulson, S.A. Brewer, C.R. Willis, J.P.S. Badyal, GB Pat. Patent: WO 98/58117
8. ^ S.R. Coulson, I.S. Woodward, J.P.S. Badyal, S.A. Brewer, C.R. Willis ‘Ultralow Surface Energy Plasma Polymer Films’ Chem. Mater. 104, (2000), 2031-2038
9. ^ "Maximising Benefit from Defence Research". http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/97579FBD-438E-4488-968E-40216CA014E0/0/max_benefit_DefResearch_UNC.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
10. ^ "P2i Water Resistant Micro Technology". http://www.p2ilabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Press-release_Surface-Innovations-Acquisition.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
11. ^ "P2i Applications". http://www.p2ilabs.com/applications.html. Retrieved 2010-03-03. 
12. ^ "P2i Ion-Mask Technology". http://www.p2ilabs.com/technology_ion-mask.html. Retrieved 2010-03-02. 
13. ^ "Ion Mask Technology By P2i". http://technology.timberland.com/en/category/footwear#ion-mask-p2i. 
14. ^ "Nike Sportswear Presents the Lunar Wood TZ, Debuting at Retail on Dec. 11th 2009.". http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/sportswear/en_US/view_post?country=us&lang_locale=en_US&blog=en_US&post=en_SG/2009/12/14/nike-sportswear-presents-the-lunar-wood-tz-debuting-at-retail-on-dec-11th-2009. Retrieved 2010-03-02. 
15. ^ "adidas Golf chooses P2i’s ion-mask™ technology to revolutionise performance and comfort in golf footwear". 2009-10-20. http://www.p2i.com/news/articles/adidas_Golf_chooses_ionmask_technology_performance_comfort__golf_footwear. Retrieved 2011-11-18. 
16. ^ "Hi-Tec Wet is Dry featuring Ion Mask". http://www.hi-tec.com/ion-mask/. Retrieved 2010-03-02. 
17. ^ "Magnum Essential Equipment featuring ion-mask". http://global.magnumboots.com/ion-mask/. Retrieved 2010-03-02. 
18. ^ "Van Dal Technologies". http://www.vandalshoes.com/van-dal-technologies. Retrieved 2010-03-02. 
19. ^ "Teva® chooses ion-mask™ protection". 2011-5-17. http://www.p2i.com/news/articles/Teva_mountain_bike_shoes_protected_ionmask. Retrieved 2011-11-18. 
20. ^ "K•Swiss chooses ion-mask™ to revolutionize latest additions to its premium sports footwear portfolio". 2010-09-01. http://www.p2i.com/news/articles/KSwiss_ionmask_sports_footwear. Retrieved 2011-11-18. 
21. ^ "Aridion Technology by P2i". http://www.p2i.com/aridion. Retrieved 2011-11-18. 
22. ^ "P2i showcase award winning technology as EUHA marks five million hearing aid milestone for Aridion™". 2011-10-19. http://www.p2i.com/news/articles/P2i_showcase_award_winning_technology_as_EUHA_marks_five_million_hearing_aid_milestone_for_Aridion. Retrieved 2011-11-18. 
23. ^ "Milton Park, Oxfordshire - Growth spells expansion for liquid repellent coati". Mepc.com. http://www.mepc.com/miltonpark/News/LatestNews/Growthspellsexpansionforliquidrepellentcoati.aspx?referal=miltonpark/News/NewsArchive.aspx. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
24. ^ "Growth spells expansion for liquid repellent coating firm P2i". http://www.p2ilabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Press-release_Surface-Innovations-Acquisition.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-02. 
25. ^ Carr, Mary (2009-03-20). "British firm P2i to open office at Herty". savannahnow.com. http://savannahnow.com/node/692478. Retrieved 2010-03-02. 
26. ^ "P2i Worldwide Offices". http://www.p2i.com/worldwide-offices. Retrieved 2011-11-18. 
27. ^ "World leading nano-coating innovator P2i opens first ASPAC office". 2009-03-20. http://www.p2ilabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/100914-P2i-opens-ASPAC-office_FINAL.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-02.