Identifiers
Functions
Key organizations include Henkel, Nestle, Kuraray, Amcor, Samsung, and Toppan. Their claims focus on barrier films with specific oxygen transmission rates, battery anodes with core-shell structures, and display components with refractive index control. For instance, Henkel claims a hair color product with a SiOx barrier layer, while Kuraray claims vapor-deposited films with defined oxygen-to-silicon gradients. These claims indicate a focus on performance metrics and structural precision.
Monthly patent filings by domain
Recent patents address technical problems around barrier performance, structural integrity, and functional surface properties. In packaging, silicon oxide is used to reduce gas and moisture transmission, with claims targeting oxygen permeability below 1.1 cm³/(m²·d·bar) and water vapor permeability below 1.1 g/(m²·d). In electronics and batteries, it solves issues like electrode expansion, corrosion, and dielectric loss. Other patents focus on improving adhesion, hydrophobicity, flame retardancy, and optical properties. These are claimed approaches, not proof of commercial products.
Silicon oxide's role is shifting from a passive filler to a functional component in advanced structures. It appears as a core material in battery anodes, a shell in Janus particles, a barrier layer in flexible packaging, and a matrix for solid electrolytes. Patents also show its use in creating gradient oxygen-to-silicon ratios for improved barrier performance, and as a component in self-lubricating coatings and anti-reflective films. This indicates a move toward engineered, multi-functional applications.
Emerging product categories include packaging films, battery materials, electronic device components, cosmetics, and industrial coatings. Formulation strategies focus on core-shell structures, vapor-deposited layers, and nanoparticle dispersions. For example, silicon oxide is used as a shell on metal cores for insulation, as a coating on zinc oxide for sunscreens, and as a filler in tire rubber composites. These strategies aim to enhance barrier properties, mechanical strength, and functional performance.
Evidence-backed white space exists in combining silicon oxide with biodegradable polymers for sustainable packaging, as seen in molded pulp articles and flexible barrier papers. There is also potential in using silicon oxide for solid electrolytes and in functional coatings for electronic devices. The patents show a trend toward multi-layer structures and gradient compositions, suggesting opportunities for optimizing performance through precise control of silicon oxide properties.