LiquiGlide Awarded Patents to Protect Key Markets for Permanently Slippery Coating Technology

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LiquiGlide Inc. today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded the company three new patents. One of the patents (No. 9,371,173) protects the company's broad use of liquid-impregnated surfaces for packaging and processing as well as large containers such as manufacturing tanks – a key new area of focus for LiquiGlide. The recently issued patents expand the company's intellectual property (IP) portfolio to include 13 total globally-issued patents, with more than 150 applications pending around the world.

"Most 'real' liquids around us are non-Newtonian and behave as sticky pastes. The new patent by LiquidGlide shows how non-Newtonian matter can be rendered mobile on liquid-impregnated textured materials," said David Quéré, the world's preeminent authority on interface science, and professor at Ecole Polytechnique and ESPCI, France. "This patent sets the stage for major applications, in particular, because the kind of container that can be treated has no limitation in terms of size, material and shape. It is now possible to transform the generally solid-like behavior of these special liquids into a fluid behavior, that is, from sticky to slippery – a  major breakthrough in industrial and daily life applications."

In addition to patent '173, LiquiGlide also received patents No. 9,309,162 and No. 9,254,496, which cover permanently slippery surfaces made of ceramic materials for extreme durability, and articles for manipulating impinging liquids and eliminating ice buildup.

"Our IP portfolio is valuable because we have broad patents that protect everything from foundational concepts necessary for making liquid-impregnated surfaces to enormous markets, including industrial manufacturing," said LiquiGlide's Head of IP Strategy and General Counsel, Alex Ewing. "These newly issued patents add to the IP fortress we are building around our unique technology and provide the foundation for us to continue to make innovative coating applications for a variety of new industries."  

Dave Smith, LiquiGlide's CEO and co-founder, said: "LiquiGlide's aggressive pursuit of IP in the U.S. and around the world has been a cornerstone of the company's strategy since our founding and reflects our global customer base and addressable markets. As we expand the business, we will continue to build out our patent portfolio to protect the broad range of industries and applications that would benefit from this technology."

LiquiGlide's growing patent portfolio covers its unique, permanently wet slippery surfaces, which consist of liquids trapped in a matrix of solid, micro-scale features – reducing friction for viscous liquids moving across treated surfaces. Building on groundbreaking research at MIT, LiquiGlide is revolutionizing the way people and businesses move liquids by engineering slippery surface coatings that allow viscous liquids to slide over solids where they would otherwise stick. 

"All viscous liquids are at some point either made or stored in a tank, and most are sold in packages. The fact that the viscous liquids stick to the surfaces of these containers frustrates both companies and consumers," said LiquiGlide's Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, and MIT Professor, Kripa Varanasi. "At LiquiGlide, we are revolutionizing the way viscous liquids are made, moved, stored and sold, eliminating waste and inefficiencies. And the new patents we've been awarded will be highly valuable as we continue to commercialize this technology and provide these benefits to an even broader customer base."

• To learn more about LiquiGlide's innovative coating solutions and its various industry applications, visit: http://liquiglide.com/industries/.
• To see videos of LiquiGlide's technology in action, visit: http://liquiglide.com/videos/.
• For additional information about LiquiGlide, please visit: www.liquiglide.com, or contact us online or via email at [email protected].

About LiquiGlide  
The first company to create permanently wet, slippery surfaces, LiquiGlide Inc. revolutionizes the way people and businesses move liquids by eliminating friction between liquids and solids. From paint manufacturing, to better packaging for consumer goods, to oil and gas infrastructure, LiquiGlide delivers coatings that work and are safe across a myriad of consumer and industrial applications.

LiquiGlide was founded in 2012 by Dave Smith and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Kripa Varanasi to commercialize MIT's patented liquid-impregnated surface technology. The patents are licensed exclusively to LiquiGlide from MIT and include six, U.S.-issued patents with more than 150 applications pending around the world. www.liquiglide.com

Contact:   
Meghan Locke  
LEWIS  
[email protected]   
(781) 418-2434

SOURCE LiquiGlide Inc.

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