California Hardcoating

Dr. William Lewis, a research scientist and inventor of superhard scratch- and abrasion-resistant coatings, founded a small consulting and development company in 1990 that later became California Hardcoating Company. Dr. Lewis perceived that silicon sol-gels had tremendous potential to increase significantly the scratch- and abrasion-resistance of polycarbonate plastics, such as Lexan®, as well as many other plastics and damage-prone materials. Moreover, he believed it was possible to bring down the costs of these coatings and make them more accessible to smaller companies and for a broader range of applications. In his more than thirty years of experience in the fields of organic chemistry and nanoparticle silicon-based coatings, Dr. Lewis has worked and consulted for numerous companies, including 8 years with E. I. duPont and twelve years working with aerospace windows and opthalmic lenses. He has been a manager, director, vice president and president of various companies. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Davis, has published numerous scientific papers and holds several patents.