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Frequently Asked Questions about
DFI Nanotechnology

1. How is the Diamon Fusion® process applied?
	There are two application methods: The first is the ultra efficient batch method (for higher volumes, industrial applications), applied with a vapor deposition system on an engineered chamber (air-tight room). The second method is our NEW wipe-on/spray system which uses a liquid in a hand-applied portable fashion; both create our special "cross-linked and branched, capped silicone films" covered in our patents.
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2. On what surfaces does DFI nanotechnology work?
	DFI nanotechnology chemically reacts with all silica-based surfaces such as glass, ceramic tile, granite and porcelain, as well as other products that contain silica.
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3. What is Nanotechnology?
	Nanoscale technologies are the development and use of devices that have a size of only a few nanometers. The prefix nano means ten to the minus ninth power, or one billionth. Nanotechnology is measured at the atomic, molecular or macromolecular levels, in the length scale of approximately 1 - 100 nanometer range. Although the main applications of Nanotechnology have been developed in the computer and electronics fields, some other current uses that are already in the marketplace include: Stain-free clothing Coatings for easier cleaning of glass surfaces Bumpers and catalytic converters on cars Protective and glare-reducing coatings for eyeglasses and cars Sunscreens and cosmetics Longer-lasting tennis balls Light-weight, stronger tennis racquets Ink Water filtration Step assists on vans
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4. Why is Diamon Fusion® not applicable on plastics or metals? Do you have any other products that are compatible to plastics or metals?
	The molecules do not contain silicon dioxide (silica), which is required for the molecular bond to occur. We have developed some new products (see Q#9) that are in fact applicable to metals, plastics and most other surfaces that are present in any typical home or any commercial buildings.
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5. How does the Diamon Fusion® process work
	DFI's nanotechnology, patented in the US and branded under the Diamon Fusion® trademark, uses a two-stage chemical process. The chemical reaction created in the first stage causes a "cross-linked" and "branched" ultra thin silicone film (nanofilm) to be grown from below the surface out. The second stage 'caps' the entire chain of atoms. This unique 'capping' substantially increases the hydrophobicity and durability, leaving, chemically speaking, no points of attachment for contaminants and creating a truly repellant charge. Through simple neutralization, all chemicals become inert within a few seconds. No curing time is needed since the chemical reaction itself occurs in less than 2 seconds.
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6. Once treated with the Diamon Fusion® process, will I still need to clean my glass, tile, porcelain or granite?
	Yes, you will. The Diamon Fusion® coating REDUCES cleaning time but it does not eliminate it entirely. Diamon Fusion® is similar to the development of Teflon®* for cooking pans. While you can cook food in uncoated pans, it is so much easier to clean if you cook with Teflon®* coated pans. While you still must maintain your Diamon Fusion® coated surface, the time and effort required are significantly reduced. * Teflon® is a registered trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company
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7. How much does it cost to have a glass surface or a kitchen granite counter top treated with Diamon Fusion®?
	Prices are determined by DFI Licensees according to their own business strategies and market segments on a worldwide basis. We are a technology developer and supplier and we only grant a license of our patented nanochemistry. Although prices do vary substantially depending on geographical areas and markets, Diamon Fusion® has proven to provide the overall highest performance, on a cost-benefit relative basis, of any easy-to-clean surface coating available in the market place today.
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8. What care and maintenance does Diamon Fusion® require?
	Maintenance and care vary substantially according to the type of application (treated surface type and location/exposure) and the abrasion to which the treated material is exposed to. Abrasion means any mechanical (such as windshield wiper on an automobile) or non-mechanical force (such as wind or dust) affecting the treated product. Thus, an exterior architectural glass structure exposed to all kinds of weather conditions will require a much different maintenance and care than an interior kitchen granite countertop, a porcelain sink lavatory or a ceramic tile bathroom wall. While Diamon Fusion® does make treated surfaces water and oil repellent, stain and scratch resistant, among other properties, and lasts for a long period of time (years in most cases), maintenance time is guaranteed to be reduced, depending on the application, by as much as 50% and up to 90%. Diamon Fusion® eliminates the need of any HARSH, EXPENSIVE and TOXIC CHEMICAL CLEANING SPRAYS. Please contact a DFI Licensee in your area for the specific maintenance recommendations relating to your application.
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*9. Does DFI have any other easy-to-clean* products than can be also applied to metals and plastics?**
	YES, in fact we do. The NEW Diamon Fusion® Revitalizer/Protectant is our most recent end-user friendly development and can be effectively applied as protective coating on most plastic and metallic surfaces as well as a reconditioner for the Diamon Fusion® Nanotech coating. This product can be used to recondition Diamon Fusion® treated surfaces when their repellency begins to wane. Think of it as a 3,000 mile (or 3,000 km) oil change on your car. It's that simple maintenance that keeps the engine lasting for years. The same is true for a Diamon Fusion® treated surface. No maintenance will affect the durability and overall performance.
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10. Where in the world can DFI Nanotechnology be purchased?
	DFI Nanotechnology has been licensed throughout the world: United States , Mexico , Europe , Australia , Central and South America . Please contact us for any specific country or region of the world.
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11. Is DFI Nanotechnology environmentally friendly?
	DFI Nanotechnology is based on an environmentally safe scientific process. The chemicals used in our patented process have been in use for over 55 years (since early 1945) in the aviation industry, for different applications, and are not found in the "Clean Air Act”(1) or the “Clean Water Act”(2). There are also no PELS (permissible exposure limits) set by OSHA (3). We have implemented, with our extreme eco-friendly philosophy, the highest standards in the handling of our chemicals so that any scientific process we may use is safe to the environment. Thus, we have engineered an ultra efficient yet simple neutralization system that renders our chemicals and their by-products completely safe and inert. We strive not only to protect the environment but to preserve it from any contamination or pollution. (1) The 1990 Clean Air Act is a federal law covering the entire United States of America , whereas the individual states (like California or New York ) do much of the work to carry out the Act. For example, a state air pollution agency holds a hearing on a permit application by a power or chemical plant or fines a company for violating air pollution limits. (2) In 1972, the US Congress enacted the first comprehensive national clean water legislation in response to growing public concern for serious and widespread water pollution. The Clean Water Act (CWA), formerly known as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, intended to “. . . restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters" (Section 101). (3) Occupational Safety & Health Administration, US Department of Labor: OSHA's mission is to ensure safe and healthful workplaces in the USA .
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12. What is the difference between the so called 'self-cleaning' glass and DFI's coating?
	‘Self-cleaning’ glass consists of a hydrophilic (SEE #13) coating with photocatalytic properties fused into the glass at high temperatures during the manufacturing process. The coating reacts with the sun’s ultraviolet light and water (rain or a water spray). Thus, these two elements (sunlight and water) must be present for the coating to be effective, creating a sheeting action so that water can easily rinse the loosened dirt away. Due to its integral characteristics, there are many limitations to this concept of "self-cleaning", such as the following: glass must receive both sunlight and water, it is not applicable to all kinds of glass, cannot be applied in the field but rather at manufacturing level only (thus making repair or replacement a lot more expensive), it’s typically more than 4 times, and up to 10 times, more expensive than hydrophobic coatings. By contrast, DFI’s hydrophobic coating requires no ‘activation’ since it chemically reacts during its own process in less than 2 seconds and immediately bonds to the surface. Although other theories refer to the "self-cleaning" glass as those coatings with contact angles in excess of 105º, where the mechanical action required is virtual unnecessary and no accumulation of contaminants occurs, we strongly believe that the misconception of self-cleaning is contrary to the reality and expectations of an end-user.
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13. What are the differences between hydrophilic and hydrophobic coatings? Are they both resistant to scratches?
	The terms hydrophilic and hydrophobic both indicate an affinity with water: hydrophilic means water attracting (such as most of the so-called ‘self-cleaning-glass’- SEE #12) and hydrophobic, on the contrary, means water repellant. While hydrophilic coatings are not highly resistant to scratches and may be even more susceptible to scratches (scratches may tend to show more easily), DFI’s hydrophobic coating is highly resistant to scratches.
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14. What does 'contact angle' mean?
	The contact angle, also called ‘wetting angle’, is the angle formed by the material's surface and the tangent of the interface between the fluid (i.e.: water) and the environment at the liquid/ solid (i.e.: glass surface) point of contact. SEE GRAPHIC BELOW (typical contact angle on untreated glass surface).
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15. Can anyone be licensed to use and apply DFI technologies?
	DFI nanotechnology is typically licensed to companies that commercialize all applicable surfaces (glass, ceramic tile, granite, porcelain), at both retail and wholesale levels, to ADD VALUE to an existing product line with the Diamon Fusion® properties. Certain areas or markets may be restricted due to existing license agreements and in accordance to the rights previously granted (i.e.: exclusivity for any particular territory or market).
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16. When was DFI's technology patented? How many more years is DFI's patent valid for?
	DFI nanotechnology’s patent, a “capped silicone film and method of manufacture thereof”, was issued in the United Sates on June 12, 2001 , by the US Patent and Trademark Office. DFI’s patent is valid for 20 YEARS from the date of its issuance (good through June 12, 2021 ). Diamon Fusion® International, Inc. is the Assignee of the Patent and Don Hayden, PhD, DFI’s Chief Scientist, is the Inventor. DFI also has a patent issued in Australia along with patents pending around the world.
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17. Is DFI's coating colorless?
	YES. Diamon Fusion® is in fact optically clear and is guaranteed NOT to discolor, chip, haze or peel off since the chemical bond created is permanent and integral to the substrate at nanoscale levels.
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18. Where is DFI nanotechnology manufactured?
	DFI has associations, on a worldwide basis, with some of the world’s largest chemical labs that supply DFI with certain chemical mixtures to manufacture DFI technologies. However, DFI manufactures most of its products at its production facility in CALIFORNIA , United States .
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19. Are the chemicals used in the Diamon Fusion® vapor process the same as the ones used in the New Diamon Fusion® spray/wipe-on system?
	NO. Each process is manufactured with a different mixture of chemical, although the end result (final product) IS the same: a crossed-linked, branched and capped silicone film.
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20. Is the impact resistance (on glass) of the DFI coating similar to tempered glass?
	NO. Tempered glass is much stronger than regular (annealed) glass and when broken, it shatters into many small fragments which prevent major injuries, thus providing superior strength and safety properties. The tempering property is created by a heating and cooling process of the glass to set up internal stresses so that the surfaces are under compression. This strengthens the glass, since glass breaks only in tension, and to break the glass, the built-in compression must be overcome. Diamon Fusion® does not provide any additional strength per se but rather resistance to impacts due to the lower coefficient of friction accomplished by its nanochemistry. Tests have shown that the weight of a debris particle required to crack a piece of glass that has been treated with Diamon Fusion® would need to be 10 times heavier than the weight required to crack an untreated piece of glass (Dr. LaCourse thesis- University of Alfred, New York).
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21. Is there any warranty on the Diamon Fusion® product?
	YES. Each licensee typically provides a warranty according to the treated product. However, DFI has no control and/or liability over each licensee’s warranty guidelines or performance since the product itself is manufactured by each licensee. DFI’s core business is the licensing of its patented technology along with all its trade secrets, trademarks, industrial designs, operational drawings and specifications. Warranties are provided independently by each licensee in accordance to each licensee’s respective marketing strategy and business operations.
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* Teflon® is a registered trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company

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