CERTOTTICA AND ZEISS RESEARCH A PERMANENT ANTIFOG TREATMENT
The project combines the know-how and hardware of Certottica laboratories with the expertise and experience of Carl Zeiss Vision The objective of the Permanent Antifog Performance project is to obtain a treatment for optical and sun lenses, protective screens and masks by using eco-friendly cold plasma technology. The know-how and hardware available for tests and analyzing results in addition to a partnership with an experienced company are some of the optimal conditions for developing research. The plasma process has numerous levels of freedom and the end result of a grafting treatment depends on different factors. Primarily, the material to be treated, followed by reaction chamber geometry, the "recipe" or chemical substances added to the plasma (process gases) and operating parameters of pressure, power and time. The materials used to make lenses, goggles and visors are different, their surface treatment is also different (hard coat, anti-reflective coating, etc...), their geometries are different and there are many limitations in terms of the need to safeguard optical properties. Consequently, the range of tests required for developing the project will also be extensive. It follows that the cost of experimentation is a considerable barrier against the industrial use of this technology. The positive impact on the environment is tangible: by using plasma for antifog treatment negligible amounts of raw materials are used without producing effluents, liquids or gases. Moreover, using the vacuum technique instead of wet processes complies with the relevant standards: Europe proposes increasingly strict standards that will limit pollution from and the stockpiling and transport of chemical substances. Furthermore, vacuum technologies are safer for operators, and, because they are highly technological processes, they raise the cultural and specialization levels of the workforce. This project will enable Certottica to consolidate its position of excellence in industrial cold plasma applications and its know-how with regard to eyewear and protection devices like sun lenses, sports goggles and visors for sports and professional uses.
