At the end of December 2022, SOCOMORE & MPG signed a partnership agreement for the commercialization of MPG’s technology in the aerospace, defense and railway markets. SOCOMORE will become the worldwide exclusive supplier of the chemicals which will be used with MPG dry surface functionalization equipment. 

Created in 2016, MPG developed a unique surface functionalization technology using cold atmospheric plasma to graft organic chemistry directly onto any substrate in a single -step, with less or no solvent, scalable atmospheric Plasma process at room temperature. This commercial partnership with SOCOMORE, a specialist in specialty chemicals for industrial markets, aims at expertise synergies. The goal is to offer solutions for overall many industries issues and specific solutions for customers. Among other applications, this collaboration could bring solutions to common or specific problems such as: 

  • Functionalization of composites materials eg. strengthening of composites, durability of coatings or reduction in emissions,
  • Surface activation or surface finishing,
  • Replacement of solvent based primers,
  • etc.

A technical expertise

Thanks to its highly experienced team, MPG will continue to provide plasma equipment, and technical support to customers. MPG will bring to the table its technological expertise and the capabilities of a new breakthrough patented innovative technology.

A chemistry expertise

Socomore will recommend, formulate and supply the functional chemicals to use with the equipment. With longtime expertise in specialty chemicals,  SOCOMORE’s R&D team is able to develop the solutions adapted to the equipment and customer requirements.

Worldwide connections

MPG is a young company, which is growing significantly year after year. Its technology can be applied to multiple industries & applications. But the barriers to entry are high especially within the aerospace, defense & rail industries. Bringing in a new solution is time consuming and costly. Combining MPG's dynamic innovation with SOCOMORE's well known capability to develop reliable solutions  for over  50 years, improved and sustainable solutions will become available.

SOCOMORE, thanks to its connections with aerospace and railway manufacturers and industry knowledge (current issues, solutions tried, etc), will help MPG identify the customers who require performance and functionality improvement of their materials and components (advanced composites, metallic, etc). 

Eco-friendly solutions

This cooperation is consistent with the industrial manufacturers’ goal to reduce VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) emissions as the equipment uses very little energy while using little to no solvent. With only a few milliliters of chemical solution, a 100 m² surface can be functionalized. Customers will also benefit from optimization with no time lost during solvent flash-off, drying or curing. The treated substrate is immediately ready for the next process step and remains workable for  a long time, when other methods present time constraints to apply a primer or any other following treatment.

Frédéric Lescure, SOCOMORE CEO: “I’m delighted with this opportunity, which is fully in line with SOCOMORE's responsible approach, by proposing this new solution for the functionalization of surfaces, with high added value for its customers, more respectful of the environment and able to respond to concrete problems on composite materials".

Stijn Vansant, MOLECULAR PLASMA GROUP CEO, “This partnership aligns perfectly with the companies' values and focus on client centricity, innovation and sustainability. Bringing together our complementary expertise in terms of plasma technology, chemistry and the market, provide the right toolbox for solution development. I look forward to seeing the first improved solutions in use by market leaders”

SOCOMORE and MPG will be presenting this new technology at the next Paris Airshow in June.

 

To discover MPG technology, watch this video: 

About Molecular Plasma Group - www.molecularplasmagroup.com

MOLECULAR PLASMA GROUP is a technology company based in Luxembourg and Belgium. It develops customized surface functionalization solutions based on its proprietary Molecular Plasma Technology platform and scales them to robust commercial solutions for customers around the world.  

In 2022, it received the “Solar Impulse Efficient Solution” Label, rewarding profitable solutions to protect the environment, for its MolecularGRIPTM technology.

 

About Groupe SOCOMORE – www.socomore.com

SOCOMORE designs, manufactures and markets specialty chemistry solutions for critical operations: preparation, treatment, protection, assembly and testing of metal surfaces or composite materials, namely for the aerospace market. In 2021, SOCOMORE invested in a French laboratory specializing in 100% vegetable chemistry.

To discover its different activities: