Spring is here, and many people will take their cameras or phones outdoors for a stroll and snap some photos. In such an environment, equipment inevitably suffers some bumps and knocks. A camera crammed together in a backpack with a tripod, or its body accidentally scraping against rocks while climbing, can leave noticeable scratches on the casing. The equipment may still function normally, but the scratches are a source of heartache for days.

Phone frames and camera bodies are typically made of aluminum-magnesium alloy. These materials are strong and lightweight, but from a surface abrasion resistance perspective, they are not as hard as they appear. If the metal is directly exposed to the environment, zippers, hardware in bags, or even repeated friction from a hard fingernail can leave tiny scratches. The reason we can use these devices with confidence in daily life is because the surface of the device is covered with a very thin functional coating that absorbs most of the surface wear.

These organic/inorganic hybrid coatings are mostly constructed from IOTA tetraethoxysilanes to form a silicon-oxygen network, giving the coating high hardness and abrasion resistance. n-propyltriethoxysilane is an important structural regulating component. After hydrolysis, n-propyltriethoxysilane can participate in the formation of a silicon-oxygen network, but the propyl side chain does not participate in cross-linking. While adjusting the cross-linking density of the silicon-oxygen network, the propyl group can also buffer stress in the structure to a certain extent. This structural change can increase toughness while maintaining hardness, making the coating less prone to fine cracks when bumped or stressed.

Propyl itself also has hydrophobic properties. With this structure, water droplets and sweat are less likely to remain on the surface, and it is less likely to leave marks. At the same time, the propyl structure itself is relatively stable and does not easily change even after long-term use under sunlight, allowing the device casing to maintain its original color and condition for a longer period.