Blog categorized as Applications

The science behind ‘soak-off’ artificial nails

Not so long ago, artificial nails were known for one feature – the difficulty of removing them. However, with the invention of ‘soak off’ artificial nails in recent years, the landscape has changed dramatically, and many suppliers are now offering formulations based on this technology that are much ...

Dr Sam Ahir
24.10.24 07:25 AM - Comment(s)
The chemistry behind UV curable top coats

Protecting or decorating a surface with just a single layer of coating can prove to be a significant challenge, regardless of what some paint manufacturers might tell you! Achieving good adhesion, vibrant colour, a glossy finish, and appropriate durability and resilience in a single layer of paint o...

Dr Sam Ahir
24.10.24 07:24 AM - Comment(s)
The evolution of nail treatment 'top coats'

The ‘top coat’ of modern UV-curable nail treatments is essential for providing a glossy, wear-resistant finish to a manicure. But how did modern top coat formulations come about? We take a look at two key innovations that underpin the popularity of top coats today – rapid UV curing and non-yellowing...

Dr Sam Ahir
24.10.24 07:23 AM - Comment(s)
Techniques for 3D-printed biomedical sensors


The use of biomedical sensors for the measurement of physiological parameters in humans is now long-established. Micro- and nano-sensors that have been employed so far have been built on silicon-based substrates, but these present many disadvantages in terms of temperature, signal/noise consideratio...

Dr Sam Ahir
23.10.24 07:40 AM - Comment(s)
Vitrimers – A Route from Commodity Plastics to High-Value Materials


Vitrimers are emerging as a spin-off class of plastic polymer that may challenge the traditional division of polymers into thermoplastics and thermosets. They represent a class of versatile, sustainable second-generation dynamic networks that can be accessed by high-temperature functionalisation of ...

Dr Sam Ahir
23.10.24 07:38 AM - Comment(s)
Sculpting nail systems: what is important and why?


An innovation with its roots in the dental acrylics industry, artificial acrylic nails were first created back in the fifties. In the decades since then, there have been major scientific and engineering innovations taking the industry forward. During the 1970s, we saw the development of liquid-powde...
Dr Sam Ahir
22.10.24 06:28 AM - Comment(s)
Dipping Nail Systems: Why the chemistry behind the system is crucial to end-product quality


Acrylic nails were originally developed in the 1950s, initially as a spin-out from the dental acrylics industry. The science behind these nails has significantly advanced since then, with the introduction of major product innovations such as the liquid-powder systems in the 1970s, the explosion of c...

Dr Sam Ahir
22.10.24 06:21 AM - Comment(s)