Is a much more durable AR coating just around the corner?

**Diopterman** · 08-01-2011, 03:34 PM

http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=47251

Discussion?

**chip anderson** · 08-01-2011, 03:38 PM

There has always been a more durable AR coating just around the corner. It is much improved from what it has been every year, just not tough enough for the public yet.
I'll bet the industry has the trade names for the next five miracles alredy out there in advance of the products.

Chip

**k12311997** · 08-01-2011, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

I'll bet the industry has the trade names for the next five miracles alredy out there in advance of the products.

Chip

I miss the cheers smiley.

**optilady1** · 08-02-2011, 08:57 AM

Not to sound like a negative Nancy, but they could make an scratch proof coating and patients would still find a way to ruin it. I think they need to invent a less destructive patient.

**EyeCare Rich** · 08-02-2011, 10:48 AM

"But I just don't know how they got so scratched! I take really good care of them." It's so hard to not roll my eyes whenever I hear this from patients. You hear them say this as they pull their shirt tails out and scrub away at their lenses!! That is great care!

RT · 08-03-2011, 07:44 AM

How much are you willing to pay?

**Jim Schafer** · 08-11-2011, 09:44 AM

I too get a kick out of the how well some folks say they take care of their eyewear and complain about damaged lenses....then as you rotate the eyewear looking at the lenses, it hits you how the finish of the frame is damaged, discolored and scratched....

Yeah, you really took care of this pair....had to be shoddy materials..

**uncut** · 08-11-2011, 07:58 PM

I agree with Chiparoo......well stated!. I would only like to add that the durability of future scratch-resistant coatings could be improved exponentially, by shortening the warranty period.

**trifoil** · 08-15-2011, 04:36 AM

are AR coatings harder or softer than CR-39?

**tntborden** · 08-15-2011, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by trifoil

are AR coatings harder or softer than CR-39?

Yes

**rdcoach5** · 08-17-2011, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by trifoil

are AR coatings harder or softer than CR-39?

The newest ones are said to be 3 times more scratch resistant than a hardcoted lens or 90 % as hard as glass.

**chip anderson** · 08-17-2011, 04:02 PM

I have actually heard some claims that some coatings are more abrasive resistant and more impact resistance than glass.
I don't actually believe them, but I have seen them.

Chip

**Chris Ryser** · 08-18-2011, 02:53 AM

Originally Posted by chip anderson

I have actually heard some claims that some coatings are more abrasive resistant and more impact resistance than glass.
I don't actually believe them, but I have seen them.

There is no such thing, not that it can not be done, but there limits. If your substrate, the lens, has a flexing factor for hot and cold temperatures you can not make the coating any harder as it will not flex along with the lens material.
So it can be done ..........but should not be done.

**DragonLensmanWV** · 08-19-2011, 10:28 AM

Explain the success of Hoya's EX3 Ar then.

**Chris Ryser** · 08-19-2011, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by DragonLensmanWV

Explain the success of Hoya's EX3 Ar then.

As they are not marketing the coating material, only cured on lenses and there is no way of knowing what it is. I once had some discussions about it with 4 Hoya executives

who claimed that the coating was totally non tintable, but got very long faces when I tinted it to 18% absorbtion.

http://www.betterthanglass.com/index.php

Extreme Scratch Resistance:

Better than glass
The many benefits of a good anti-reflection coating can be ruined by scratches. A single scratch will not only be a constant source of annoyance throughout the day, it will also reduce contrast and sharpness of vision. The best anti-reflective coating has now been taken to the extreme with HOYA’s new SUPER HI VISION EX3.
Extreme scratch resistance:
SUPER HI VISION EX3 offers the highest scratch resistance available on the coating market. Independent tests show that the scratch resistant layer of SUPER HI VISION EX3 has a Bayer value that far exceeds glass, making it the hardest coating available on the market today.
• More scratch resistant than glass!
• Protects your patients’ investment and increases lens lifespan.
• Provides increasingly more scratch resistance than its predecessors.

**chip anderson** · 08-19-2011, 05:33 PM

Yeah, right!

**Barry Santini** · 09-01-2011, 06:49 AM

At this time, describing an AR coating as having "better scratch-resistance than glass" is a completely misleading statement to the consumer. Their expectations are mis-set.
IMHO, until frames and their companion cases are designed to be slim and convenient, the consumer cannot be held soley accountable for the typical scratch patterns we see.

With the frame companies COMPLETELY unreceptive to a discussion about this (believe me, I've tried), there's not much any ECP can do. However, *if* we did get such optimal frame/case pairings, then I think that today's best AR coatings would perform for most people as promised, and their warranty for scratches could be requalified to cover only those scratches "that your fingernail cannot catch"

B