The development of Prescale led Fujifilm to further refine its microcapsule technologies. The company discovered how to decrease capsule diameter to less than 1 micrometer, precisely control the thickness and hardness of capsule shells, and manufacture microcapsules and the products that contain them even more stably and efficiently.
Fujifilm continued to apply the manufacturing processes it developed for photographic film to microcapsule technology, finding ways to use microcapsules in membranes and precision coatings and combining microcapsules with its nano dispersion technology. In this way, Fujifilm found new ways to turn microcapsules into highly value-added products. In addition, Fujifilm made advances in materials that were more friendly to the environment, such as polyurethane, and featured them in microcapsule products.
In order to fulfill the potential of microcapsule technology, Fujifilm’s sales, marketing, R&D, and manufacturing personnel has joined forces to promote the use of this technology both within Fujifilm and beyond in the form of Open Innovation. New applications and functions continue to be created in every field and industry, such as food products, healthcare, energy, and more.
Fujifilm also offers a range of technological services that can help companies create unique new products. Fujifilm can develop new encapsulated materials and determine how to manufacture them, develop methods to encapsulate a specific substance, and even develop methods to further process microcapsules after they are formed. In addition to traditional polyurethane as a base material, Fujifilm is researching and developing advanced new substances to take microcapsule performance to the next level.
More than a half-century has passed since the development of Fujifilm’s first microcapsule product, and forty years have passed since the introduction of Prescale. Going forward, Fujifilm will continue to build on this technology and innovate new applications. In fact, in the near future, new products with advanced microcapsule functions are likely to reach consumers in a range of new and exciting applications.