Ecology Coatings Granted Quadruple Patent Approval for Low-Energy, Low-Emission Industrial Coatings

AKRON, Ohio--Ecology Coatings, Inc. today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued patent number 7,151,123 covering the company’s environmentally-friendly, 100 percent solids UV curable coating technology. The issued patent is the first of four recently allowed patents that further strengthen the company’s position as a technology leader in the industrial coatings market. Ecology Coatings’ patented products and methods integrate with the conventional finishing process to reduce energy use, hazardous emissions, time and space requirements for OEM manufacturers in a variety of sectors including the automotive, plastics and metals markets.

“We see this intellectual property enabling new products that will access new markets and support strategic partnerships as well as strong licensing prospects,” said Tom Krotine, CEO of Ecology Coatings. “Solidifying our position as a technology leader in the coatings market, the patents position us well for growth in the coming year and beyond.”

“More than a decade ago, I set out to develop a clean alternative to the coatings used by manufacturers to finish products ranging from car parts to jean tags,” said Sally Ramsey, co-founder and chief chemist of Ecology Coatings. “The challenge has been finding a solvent-free formulation in an easy to spray-apply package, the combination needed to realistically incorporate the coatings into the real-world manufacturing line. These new patents encompass Ecology Coatings’ fundamental technology breakthrough, a disruptive and commercially robust industrial coating platform that delivers high-performance and ease of use without compromising the health of the environment.”

In a departure from conventional industrial coatings, Ecology Coatings’ patented UV-curing, 100-percent solids formulations contain no water, hazardous solvents or other liquid components that typically require high heat or long evaporation to cure. Requiring only a few seconds of UV light exposure to form a durable barrier, the coatings reduce the finishing process’s energy consumption by up to 75 percent. The patented products are compatible with room-temperature spray techniques allowing for seamless coating of a variety of manufactured goods incorporated in motor vehicles and accessories. The UV cure makes the coatings particularly well-suited for parts with mixed or temperature sensitive substrates, such as metal tanks with rubber seals. The high-performance formulations are also compatible for parts requiring flexibility, such as the leaf spring or plastic bumper of a car.

Ecology Coatings’ nonpolluting formulations fall within Patent Office regulations that have allowed an accelerated approval process for inventions that contribute to environmental quality. Approval of all four patents was swift, in one case in less than the eighteen months needed for publication.