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OXFORD ADVANCED SURFACES GROUP PLC

(AIM: OXA)

OAS launches OntoTM Development Pack for customer testing

Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group (OAS), the AIM listed technology developer targeting engineered materials and surface modification applications in multiple markets including automotive, aerospace, communications and renewable energy, announces that it is launching an OntoTM development pack to allow customers to test OAS products in their own labs.

The first development pack, for the OntoTM EP1000 range of products, is targeted at adhesion promotion of polyurethane and epoxy coatings to historically difficult-to-bond-to materials including engineering polymers, high performance (speciality) plastics and thermoplastic composites.

In many high performance products engineering and speciality plastics are increasingly being utilised as replacements for metals because they provide favourable properties including weight, flexibility and chemical resistance. However, their excellent solvent and heat resistance also makes them extremely difficult to bond. For many high-end products, delamination can be catastrophic so that adhesion promotion of these materials becomes paramount.

OntoTM provides a solution to this problem by providing a chemically reactive surface on the material and allows manufacturers to continue to utilise existing coatings and paints. Importantly, Onto™ treatments do not require the use of harsh or environmentally unfriendly solvents.

The development packs will enable customers to quickly assess the system in their own labs and help shorten the time between assessment, pilot trial and the supply of a commercial product by OAS.

The development packs will be available before the end of February.

Philip Spinks, CEO, commented:

"We are delighted to be able to offer our technology in a simple to use development pack and we hope this will speed the adoption of OntoTM into a number of potential markets."

Sarah Vickers, Product Manager, commented:

"The availability of a Development Pack helps us to short-cut the development cycle with potential customers and will demonstrate the ability of OntoTM to have a real impact in the advanced and reinforced plastics markets."

24 January 2014

Enquiries:

Oxford Advances Surfaces Group Plc

www.oxfordsurfaces.com

Philip Spinks, Chief Executive Officer T: 01865 854 807

W H Ireland Limited

www.wh-ireland.co.uk

John Wakefield T: 0117 945 3471

Editors' Note

Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group (OAS) is the AIM listed technology developer targeting engineered materials and surface modification applications in multiple markets including automotive, aerospace, communications and renewable energy. Our proprietary Onto™ highly reactive chemistry provides manufacturers with versatile technology solutions in surface functionalisation and adhesion promotion of coatings, inks and adhesives to difficult-to-bond substrates. Onto™ can be integrated into customer manufacturing lines for use in a wide range of surface modification applications for high-performance plastics, low surface energy polymers and composites.

Onto™ technology creates permanent bonding to surfaces through the use of highly reactive carbene chemistry. Carbenes can react with almost anything, even difficult-to-bond materials with limited or no functionality such as polyethylene, making Onto™ a diverse surface modification technology for a wide range of materials. Onto™ is processed from solution using typical wet process techniques and can be integrated into customer manufacturing facilities. The chemistry is flexible and can be manipulated to provide a variety of properties to a surface, giving it scope for use in a broad range of applications and markets.

At OAS, we have the expertise, know-how and facilities to design and synthesise Onto™ materials and formulations that provide functional surface treatments to meet specific performance and processing requirements. We work closely with customers to design bespoke formulations to meet performance requirements for specific material systems. We welcome any enquiries regarding the surface functionalisation and adhesion promotion of high performance plastics and composites.