Nissan’s Scratch Shield Paint, Applied to Mobile Phones

Japanese carmaker Nissan announced today that it has agreed to license its Scratch Shield paint to NTT DoCoMo, in order to be applied to mobile phones in Japan. This special paint self-treats fine scratches and is capable of restoring the vehicles’ paint surfaces overnight or up to a week’s instance in more severe cases.

The amount of time required for self-repair depends on the surrounding temperature and the depth of the scratch. In some cases, restoration may take up to one week. The paint does not self-repair if scratches are deep enough to sever the bonds within the clearcoat or if the clearcoat has been peeled off.

“Nissan has been licensing its unique technologies for various non-automotive applications since 2004. Other technologies that have been licenced include the around-view monitor and far infrared image sensor. Nissan will continue to research and develop breakthrough tehcnologies that can benefit other industries, and promote these non-automotive applications globally,” a company statement reads.

Aside from its self-repairing qualities, the Scratch Shield paint is more scratch-resistant than conventional paint, therefore, contributing to a more durable and long-lasting paint coat. This makes the paint ideal for mobile phone application, which are more susceptible to scratches through daily use.

Nissan’s special paint technology was commercially introduced in December, 2005, developed in collaboration with University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials. The basic structure is a special highly elastic resin combined with a conventional clearcoat to increase the paint's flexibility. This has also increased its strength by raising the resin density.