What is Oleophobic Coating applied to phone screens?

 

When we look at our new phone when we open it up for the first time, the next question comes to mind: how long will its screen stay this clean and shiny? Even after using it for days, it will be clear to anyone that the phone is still new, perhaps without the need to tell anyone about it, because the brightness and cleanliness of the screen, and even the ease and smoothness of its use when using touch technology, will appear clearly visible.

 

But with the days, some stains begin to appear on the surface of the screen, and its texture changes, and it seems more difficult to clean. It is true that the screen will not return as it was the first time, but have you ever wondered what is the reason that the phone screen continues for even a short period of being a shiny and dirt-resistant screen? And that the cleaning process in the first period is completely done without leaving any stains or marks? Read on and I'll tell you all about it.

 

The reason for this is simply that smartphone manufacturers put a light layer of a substance called Oleophobic Coating on the phone screen, which gives it a higher ability to resist dirt and ease of cleaning. So, what is this layer, and what are its functions exactly, how can it be preserved, and can it be restored so that the phone returns as new? This is what we will answer in this article.

 

What is the Oleophobic Coating?

 

In fact, it is, as it appears from its name, a light layer of a material that is resistant to fats and oils, the literal translation of which is: “oil-resistant coating” that is added to the screens of most touch screen devices, including tablets and touch laptops. Therefore, we will not find it on screens that do not operate with touch technology. In such screens, another layer is used, which is a water-resistant layer, and the water-resistant layer is not considered suitable for touch devices because it affects the touch feature.

 

You may be wondering why a layer that is resistant to oils or fats is in particular. This is because materials of an oily and greasy nature are among the materials that most attract and suspend small dirt, such as fine particles of dust, in addition to the fact that their spread on the screens will leave an ugly effect that is difficult to remove without affecting the clarity and purity of the glossy screen interface. Which was happening before this material was invented, as our phone screens were fingerprint magnets! And this is noticed once used for a few hours after taking the phone out of the box.

 

What is the task of this article and how does it work?

 

The matter has to do with chemistry and to understand the matter we can note that there are factors that help in the decomposition of the melting of substances of a fatty and oily nature, such as heat, for example. Very small amounts of oily substances, which may get stuck in human hands from the environment, or even from body lotions, or natural oils secreted by the body, these small quantities will be noticed as an ugly sight on the screen,).

 

This layer is designed to resist materials of a greasy and oily nature from chemicals that do not stimulate the decomposition of fats, nor interact with them, and thus this layer reduces the spread of traces of materials of a greasy nature carried by human hands and fingers while using the phone by touch. In short, this layer prevents any traces of fingerprints left by the daily use of the phone.

 

Does this material last for the life of the phone?

 

No. And you certainly noticed that, with the continuous use of the phone, its screen gradually turns into a different view than it was because the layer erodes for many reasons, including the factors of the passage of time that keep nothing the same. In addition, the use of some types of detergents to clean the screen will greatly affect the duration of this layer, such as soap cleaners, glass cleaners, and oven cleaners that contain a percentage of alcohol as well, which are basic and specialized cleaners for phones as companies have become recommended on A special face recently in light of the spread of the Corona pandemic, such as Apple, which recommends the use of Clorox disinfectant wipes, but even without doing the cleaning operations constantly, this coating will wear out with time.

 

Knowing the validity of the material and how to maintain its survival?

 

You can simply test the condition of this layer by placing a point or a small drop of pure water on the phone screen while keeping the phone in a flat or slightly inclined position horizontally. If you notice that the water droplet still maintains its shape as a drop, this means that the paint is still good. And effective, but if the drop flows and spreads on the screen, this means that the paint has decreased its effectiveness or is completely finished.

 

But it is good to know that using a protective adhesive against breakage, or even a plastic one, can extend the life of this paint and slow down its corrosion process because it often also contains a layer of it, so whenever you feel affected, you can change the protective adhesive. And in the event that you do not prefer to use screen protectors, it is useful for you to know that this coating has become available in the market through drops that you can purchase from stores that specialize in selling phone accessories, for example, there is “Fusso by Crystal Armor”, which you can purchase from “Amazon” stores or Any local stores that specialize in phone accessories.

 

How to restore this paint after it wears off

 

Mostly you will find procedures for applying paint with instructions for use, but in any case, applying it will not require specialists unless you want to, and if you want to apply the paint yourself, you can follow the following steps at home, after purchasing the paint from specialized stores:

 

Clean the entire screen of your phone using a material designed to wipe phone screens such as a soft cloth, making sure to remove any grease or dust.

Put about (10-15) drops of liquid on the phone screen and spread it all over the screen area, using your finger while it is covered with a plastic cover. Care must be taken to immediately start spreading the liquid to avoid its rapid drying.

Allow the phone about 12 hours for the liquid to dry. Although the liquid seems to dry quickly, it is necessary to leave it unused for a period of 12 hours to ensure the best results.

 

You can repeat the process whenever you feel that the paint has affected the use, or by testing it in the way we indicated above.