®ECLEAR Anti-Scratch Hard Coatings
ECLEAR develops proprietary, optically clear anti-scratch hard coatings based on advanced nanoparticle and polysiloxane sol-gel chemistry. The portfolio includes thermally cured, UV-curable and dual-cure systems for a broad range of polymeric optical substrates. Grade selection depends on substrate chemistry, part geometry, forming history, coating method, available cure window and required performance.
What the material stack contains.
Read the layers in functional order; the exact construction remains grade-specific.
- 01Prepared polymer substrate
- 02ECLEAR adhesion and curing interface
- 03Crosslinked abrasion-resistant hardcoat
- 04Optional compatible anti-fog, hydrophobic or other functional topcoat
Named grades for technical selection.
Each ECLEAR model identifies a distinct material role and construction. Manufacturing cross-references remain controlled in the ECLEAR product master for traceability.
A crosslinked surface layer that protects transparent polymers.
01Uncoated thermoplastics are light and formable, but their surfaces can be vulnerable to scratching, chemicals and handling damage. A hardcoat adds a thin, optically clear network at the exposed surface while preserving the bulk properties of the molded part.
02Performance depends on more than coating chemistry. Substrate additives, residual molding stress, cleaning, wet-film uniformity, flash-off and cure history all affect adhesion and appearance. ECLEAR therefore treats the substrate, coating method and cure route as one controlled system.
03Heat-cured, UV-cured and dual-cure routes serve different geometries and manufacturing flows. Dual-cure concepts can provide a controlled pre-cure for handling or forming followed by final UV cure, but the exact sequence must be validated for the selected grade and part.
Performance framed around the application.
Benefits are evaluated on the intended substrate, process and finished assembly.
Improves scratch and abrasion resistance while maintaining optical clarity on qualified polymer substrates
Optically clear formulations for lenses, visors and molded optical parts
Heat, UV and dual-cure routes available within the wider platform
Supports flat and 3D parts made by injection molding, extrusion, casting or thermoforming
From material definition to a qualified production stack.
Qualification links the material, converting route and customer production line.
Confirm resin, additives, molding stress, geometry and downstream layers.
Define cleaning, activation and contamination controls for the real part.
Control application mass, leveling, flash-off and the approved thermal or UV profile.
Test adhesion, abrasion, optics, weathering and intercoat compatibility on production geometry.
Evidence to collect before specification release.
Use representative substrates, process conditions and aging sequences.
- Cross-hatch or customer-specified adhesion before and after conditioning
- Abrasion or scratch method with defined load, media and cycles
- Haze, transmittance, optical distortion and cosmetic inspection
- Humidity, thermal cycling, chemical exposure and weathering as required
- Compatibility with printing, PVD, anti-fog and easy-clean topcoats
Values require a method and an approved revision.
Typical values support selection; controlled specifications come from the approved TDS.
Typical values are not specifications. Final limits are subject to the approved ECLEAR TDS and customer validation.
Questions engineers ask before a line trial.
Resolve the material role, interfaces and process window before sampling.
Can one hardcoat be used on every transparent plastic?+
No. PC, PMMA, PCTG, TAC, nylon, Tritan, PET-family materials and cast lens resins differ in surface chemistry, stress sensitivity and thermal limits. The exact substrate grade must be qualified.
Does a higher pencil-hardness number guarantee better field durability?+
Not by itself. Pencil hardness, abrasion, impact, adhesion, weathering and optical quality measure different failure modes. The test package should reflect the finished product.
Can ECLEAR recommend a grade from an application description alone?+
A first shortlist is possible, but a production recommendation requires the substrate, layer construction, equipment, process sequence, test method and acceptance criteria. ECLEAR normally moves from requirement definition to laboratory matching, samples, line trial and a frozen approved specification.
Are the values shown on this page guaranteed specifications?+
No. Website values and constructions are selection guidance. Guaranteed limits, test conditions, packaging and shelf life are controlled only by the latest ECLEAR-approved TDS, quality agreement and customer qualification record.
Where this platform is evaluated.
Each application still requires stack-level compatibility and line validation.
Parameters to control.
Record the complete process window, not only one nominal setting.
- Confirm resin grade, molding history and residual stress before coating.
- Define cleaning, activation, coating method, flash-off, cure and post-cure as one controlled process.
- Validate optical distortion and adhesion on the final part geometry, not only a flat coupon.
- Test compatibility before applying inks, PVD layers, anti-fog or hydrophobic topcoats.
What we need to know.
These inputs allow ECLEAR to narrow the grade and validation plan.
- Q1What is the exact substrate resin, supplier and molding condition?
- Q2Which coating method and production capacity are required?
- Q3What abrasion, adhesion, weathering and optical tests must be passed?
- Q4Will the surface receive printing, PVD, anti-fog, photochromic, anti-reflective or easy-clean treatment?
What a disciplined trial should expose early.
Early failure checks reduce scale-up risk and prevent false material comparisons.
Residual stress cracking or solvent attack on an unverified substrate
Incomplete cure, intercoat incompatibility or adhesion loss
Flow marks, edge build-up or optical distortion on complex geometry
Over-generalizing a laboratory result to a customer production line
Controlled technical documents.
Request the current revision for the selected ECLEAR grade and application.
Typical constructions and application concepts are provided for material selection only. Availability, structure, performance and process conditions are grade-specific and subject to the latest ECLEAR-approved TDS, application testing and final customer qualification.
Related material systems.
Review adjacent materials that interact with this product in the same stack or process.
Validate the complete stack, not one isolated material.
Share the substrate, construction, process and acceptance criteria for a focused recommendation.