Glossary of Terms

Accelerated aging tests
Procedures designed to show, in a short period of time, what will happen to a material over the course of its lifetime.

Capacitance per unit
A measure of the amount of electric charge stored for a given electric potential.

Capacitor anode
The electrode of a capacitor where positive electrical charge is stored.

Cathode ray tube (CRT)
A picture tube that uses a stream of high-speed focused electrons to generate an image.

Chemical or biological agent (CBA)
A chemical substance with toxic properties, often used for a weapons purpose.

Chemical polymerization
The bonding together of monomers (individual molecules) through a unique reaction to form three-dimensional polymer chains. Chemical polymerization is required with current coatings for capacitor anodes. Crosslink EMPAC™ does not require this additional step that adds time to manufacturing cycles.

Conductive polymer
A long-chain organic polymer which conducts electricity. Conductive polymers also are plastics, allowing for properties such as flexibility and elasticity to be combined with the high electrical conductivities the polymer can exhibit. Crosslink's solutions are based on conductive polymers.

Conductive polymer coating
Crosslink's solutions integrate conductive polymers into coatings that can be applied to a variety of materials and perform a specified function.

Corrosion
The degradation of a metallic material due to its interaction with its environment.

Crosslinks
Refers to a process Crosslink employs to strengthen covalent bonds linking one polymer chain to another. For Crosslink EMPAC™, this process improves the product's performance.

Decontamination
The process of removing a toxic material from an area after exposure.

Detoxification
The process of neutralizing a toxic material before it is able to adversely affect an area or person.

Dispersion
A system of fine particles distributed in a medium. For energy storage materials, dispersion coatings do not provide the even coverage achieved by a true solution because the particles within a dispersion are not evenly distributed throughout the coating.

Electroactive polymer (EAP)
Some conductive polymers also are known as electroactive polymers. When a small voltage is applied to an electroactive polymer, molecules are released. Some of Crosslink's solutions, such as corrosion protection and drug delivery, are based on electroactive polymers.

Electroluminescence (EL)
An electro-optical effect where a material emits light in response to an electrical voltage.

Electrostatic dissipation (ESD)
The surface property of a material that allows it to disperse an electrical charge rather than allow it to build up.

Equivalent series resistance (ESR)
A parameter used to measure an electrical component’s inherent resistance to the passage of an electrical current.

Electronic Waste Recycling Act (EWRA)
"The Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 (Stats. 2003, ch. 526 - SB 20) was signed into law on September 24, 2003, and amended by SB 50 (Stats. 2004, ch. 863) on September 29, 2004. One of the major objectives of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act, as amended, is to establish a new program for consumers and the public to return, recycle and ensure the safe and environmentally-sound disposal of video display devices, such as televisions and computer monitors, that are hazardous wastes when discarded. Beginning on January 1, 2005, California consumers began paying a fee ranging from $6 to $10 at the time of purchase of certain video display devices. The fees are deposited into a special account to be paid to qualified e-waste collectors and recyclers to cover their costs of managing these devices when they are discarded."
(source: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/EWaste/)

Hexavalent chromium
Cr(VI)-based chemicals that are highly toxic and known carcinogens.

Hydrophobic
A physical property of a molecule which repels it from water.

Leakage current
An unwanted current flowing between two electrodes.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
A semiconductor that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it.

Liquid crystal display (LCD)
A display device where many liquid crystal pixels are situated in front of a source of light.

Metal oxide
A compound formed from oxygen and a metal.

Polypyrrole (PPY)
A type of conductive polymer derived from polypyrrole.

Polythiophene
A type of conductive polymer formed from the linking of thiophene ring structures, e.g., PEDOT.

Q-Sun stability tests
Procedures designed to assess the ability of a material to withstand long-term effects of direct sunlight exposure.

RoHS
The RoHS Directive stands for "the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment." This Directive bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.
(source: http://www.rohs.gov.uk/)

Salt spray tests
Procedures utilizing salt water designed to assess the ability of a material to withstand corrosion.

Smart coating
Crosslink smart coatings, based on conductive polymers, have a unique ability to sense a change in the state of a material, such as corrosion, and release an additive that corrects or neutralizes the change.

Solid-state lighting
Lighting which utilizes an array of LEDs to produce light.

Soluble polyaniline
A form of polyaniline that is soluble in organic solvents. Many of Crosslink's solutions, including Crosslink EMPAC™, are based on soluble polyaniline.

Tape adhesion testing
Procedure where scratches are made in a coating and tape is applied repeatedly in order to test the strength of the coating’s bond to the material.

Thermoplastic coating
A coating that is able to retain original properties after being heated to a liquid and cooled back to a solid.

U.S. Federal Highway Administration Report
In 2002, the Federal Highway Administration published a report called "Corrosion Costs and Preventive Strategies in the United States." This report assessed the economic impact of corrosion on the U.S. economy. You can access the agency's report library at http://www.tfhrc.gov/library/library.htm.

Work function
The minimum amount of energy that is necessary to remove an electron from a solid surface to a point immediately outside the solid surface.