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Spinoff story
Low-Outgassing, Space-Grade Coatings Cover Electronics, Sensors, Pacemakers
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Over the last three decades, the Outgassing Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center has tested and validated 10 varieties of Parylene—ultrathin coatings that protect circuit boards and other equipment in space. Like all the lab’s testing data, the Parylene results are listed in a publicly accessible database, where any researcher can learn that the materials, made by Indianapolis-based Specialty Coating Systems Inc., are stable and release virtually no volatile compounds. The coatings’ terrestrial applications include automobile electronics systems, coronary stents, and surgical needles.