Flexcon Global has exclusively licensed two patented inventions to manufacture a self-healing barrier film from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory for research and development purposes. The film can be incorporated into vacuum insulation panels to increase the efficiency of buildings during retrofits. 

Flexcon, based in Spencer, Massachusetts, provides coatings, film laminations and functional technologies to a range of markets including healthcare, sustainable packaging, transportation, consumer durables, electronics, industrial, retail and advertising.

Under a cooperative research and development agreement that began in 2021, Flexcon and ORNL have been exploring the capabilities of the technology and fine-tuning its properties.

The licensed technologies include a self-healing barrier film as well as an advanced method for manufacturing the film using a roll-to-roll coating process. 

“Working with Tomonori Saito and his team has been an exciting opportunity to create a solution for an unmet need in the market. Our relationship with ORNL as a manufacturing developmental partner has been mutually beneficial,” said Mike Merwin, Flexcon’s director of technology solutions. “We look forward to working on additional projects and continuing the strong working relationships that have come out of this experience.”

Saito, a researcher in ORNL’s Chemical Sciences Division, leads the work for ORNL with support from Natasha Ghezawi, a Bredesen Center student. The Bredesen Center is an educational partnership managed by the University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute focused on doctoral programs aligned with convergent research areas shared by both institutions.