A research team has modified the surface of plastics at micro and nanometric levels to give them additional properties such as hydrophobicity and colour without using dyes. This development can have many applications in the automotive sector.

Logos of the participant institutions encoded on a plastic's surfaceThe project PLASTFUN’s goal is to create more functional plastics. The next step in the investigation is establishing the necessary methods for applying the modification in the plastic injection process. Another step is to ensure that the pieces’ intelligent surfaces are stable in order to make its production a profitable one.

The experiment has already offered interesting and useful results. The new physical properties provide plastics with a functional change, rather than a decorative one. For instance, thanks to the nanotexturing, fingerprints would not remain on the control touch screen or surfaces would be less contaminated.

RIS3CAT Plan to establish new innovation strategies

The initiative is part of the RIS3CAT Plan, the Research and Innovation Strategy for the Smart Specialisation of Catalonia, as a requirement of the European Commission and funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya in cooperation with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The main goal is to establish innovation strategies in the organisation through communities, company groups and agents of the RDI system working jointly.

PLASTFUN is one of the 7 projects in which CSIC scientists are involved through the Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona (IMB-CNM) and the Instituto Catalán de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (ICN2).

Other RIS3CAT projects:

• IMAQUA
• SIMBIOTS
• NANONAFRES
• 3DBONT