Light-Absorbing and Emitting Dyes
Akita chemists have decades of experience making light-absorbing and emitting dyes, tailored to particular product requirements. Dyes are selected for absorption/emission of particular wavelengths in the UV, visible, or near-infrared regions of the spectrum, and designed to have the required thermo- and photostability, solubility, and brightness.
Coatings
Akita designs and produces a wide variety of coatings including polymers, metals, and sol-gel (inorganic) coatings. Coatings are used to protect substrates from degradation, contamination, or corrosion, to incorporate chemical sensing features, to control permeation of water or oxygen, to impart color or hardness, or to increase or prevent wetting of the material by water or oils.
Micro and Nanomaterials
Akita designs and produces a variety of micro and nanomaterials, including inorganic particles of metals and metal oxides, silica and polymer particles, and exotic materials such as iodates. We can modify the surface of these particles to control their solubility or polymer-encapsulate them to protect them from hydrolysis or oxidation.
Dielectric Protective Material (Covers and Radome Material)
Akita is developing a removable protective cover for the Navy AN/SPY-1 array radar in a Phase II SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) effort. Currently, arrays are protected only by a thin layer of coated resin that is easily damaged by physical contact and provides virtually no mechanical protection from hail and other impacts.
Coatable/printable Dielectric Curable Fluids (Inks)
Akita is maturing technology for a dielectric ink for printed electronics for harsh environments (e.g., aerospace). Existing dielectric inks are not ideal with respect to one or more of the required properties:
Additive Manufacture of Piezoceramics
Piezoelectric ceramics have many military applications including active sonar, hydrophones, accelerometers, fuses and triggers for munitions, sensors for military vehicles, and motors and actuators in UAVs and satellites. Additive Manufacture (AM) technology provides the ability to manufacture complex structures with accurate control of thickness and the precise control of structure needed for microminiature devices.
Other technologies
Akita designs and produces specialty optical polymers with designed refractive indices and other properties, specialty gas adsorbents, and specialty feedstocks for additive manufacturing. We can work with you to design and produce many chemical or material technologies.