Iran’s nanocoating industry powering high-tech manufacturing, exports and industrial innovation

By Mina Mosallanejad

Iran’s nanocoating industry has moved well beyond the laboratory stage and is emerging as a sizeable industrial sector, supported by hundreds of knowledge-based companies, domestically developed equipment and a growing market.

The sector has established a particularly strong position in physical vapor deposition (PVD), decorative coatings, anti-corrosion technologies and coating equipment.

At the same time, recent developments indicate that Iranian companies are increasingly expanding into more advanced industrial applications, including oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and other strategic industries.

According to the Iranian Nano Products Market Report 2024, published by the Iran Nano and Micro Technologies Innovation Council (INIC) in November 2025, Iran’s domestic nanocoating market was valued at 241,288 billion rials in 2024.

That figure accounted for approximately 24.8 percent of Iran’s total nanotechnology products market, which reached 972,930 billion rials that year. Only nanocomposites, with a 45.5 percent market share, represented a larger segment.

The figures underscore that nanocoatings are no longer a marginal component of Iran’s nanotechnology ecosystem. They have emerged as one of the country’s leading industrial nanotechnology sectors, with an expanding presence across both established and high-value industrial applications.

A growing industrial base

More than half of Iran’s nanotechnology manufacturing companies operate in nanocoatings and nanocomposites, making these two fields among the most competitive areas in the country’s burgeoning nanotechnology market.

Of roughly 470 companies active in Iran’s nanotechnology sector two years ago, INIC identified 141 as operating in nanocoatings. The number of these companies have expanded further since 2024.

These companies represent a broad technological ecosystem. Their activities range from manufacturing coatings and providing coating services to producing deposition equipment and nanocoated products.

Iranian companies are active in PVD technologies as well as spray and nanoparticle-based coatings, anti-corrosion and anti-wear coatings, anti-reflective coatings and decorative applications.

PVD currently dominates the domestic nanocoating market. It accounted for more than 93 percent of Iran’s nanocoating market in 2024, with a value of approximately 224,600 billion rials out of the total 241,288 billion rials. That figure has increased significantly now.

PVD is an advanced surface-engineering technology in which metals such as titanium, chromium and zirconium are vaporized under vacuum and deposited as thin layers on component surfaces.

Decorative coatings also remain the largest application area. More than 61 percent of the nanocoating market was related to decorative products, including bathroom fittings, tiles, glassware and metal products.

Anti-reflective coatings are another important segment, accounting for 30.8 percent of the market, with applications in reflective glass, optical and photonic products and automotive light reflectors. Anti-corrosion and anti-wear coatings together accounted for about 5.7 percent of the market.

Although decorative applications remain dominant, the structure of the sector is beginning to change as Iranian companies increasingly develop performance-oriented coatings for industrial equipment.

From equipment to an integrated technology chain

One of the strongest indicators of Iran’s growing capabilities is its increasing ability to manufacture nanocoating equipment domestically.

In 2024, 94 companies were active in PVD manufacturing and services. Together, they operated 102 PVD machines manufactured by Iranian companies, as well as six continuous-production lines.

This demonstrates that Iran is not simply relying on imported coating systems. Domestic companies have developed sufficient capabilities to design and manufacture at least part of the equipment required for PVD technology.

The ability to develop equipment, materials and coating processes domestically gives Iranian companies a stronger position across the technology value chain, while creating opportunities for further localization and, potentially, exports.

Over the five years ending in 2024, sales of products and services in Iran’s PVD sector exceeded 830,000 billion rials.

From decorative surfaces to advanced applications

Nanocoatings already have a broad range of applications in the country, spanning decorative products, construction materials, glass and advanced industrial surfaces.

Nanostructured decorative coatings are used on bathroom fittings to enhance appearance while improving resistance to wear and corrosion. PVD coatings are also applied to tiles and ceramics, creating durable and visually distinctive decorative surfaces.

Another important application is reflective and anti-reflective glass. Extremely thin layers of metals and metal oxides can be deposited onto glass to control light transmission, reduce radiation and enable applications in architecture, decoration, optics and photonics.

Iranian companies are also developing technologies beyond PVD. For example, the Iranian knowledge-based company Zhikan (Zhicaler) specializes in superhydrophobic coatings and describes itself as Iran’s first producer of superhydrophobic paints and coatings.

Its products have received nanoscale certification and comply with relevant national and international standards. The company has also participated in the development of ISO 10689.

Superhydrophobic coatings can be applied to buildings, metal surfaces, facades, glass and a wide range of industrial materials, offering benefits in areas such as water and corrosion resistance.

Another Iranian company, Nano-Structured Coatings, specializes in vacuum deposition equipment. Its product portfolio includes sputtering, thermal evaporation, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), carbon-coating systems, desktop deposition systems, and research and industrial equipment.

The company has exported its equipment to several international markets, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and South Korea.

Its performance also highlights the export potential of high-value nanotechnology equipment as the company ranked second in the value-per-weight category of the second Iran Nano Export Award in 2025.

Nanotechnology targets industrial durability

Iranian companies are also increasingly applying nanocoatings to industrial components where durability can directly affect production costs.

One example is the development of nanocoatings for automotive brake pads and friction materials.

In October 2025, two technologies were introduced: a nanocoating for brake-pad surfaces and a nanostructured friction material. The technologies were developed to improve corrosion resistance, reduce wear, and extend the service life of brake components.

According to Mohammad Hassan Akhoundian, the company’s marketing and sales manager, the two technologies had reached industrial production and final preparation stages.

He said that the nanocoating technology increases corrosion resistance and reduces production costs, while the nanostructured compound improves brake performance stability at high temperatures.

The company, which has a capacity of more than 40 million brake pads annually and accounts for more than 60 percent of the domestic market, is also seeking to expand into export markets across Eurasia.

Akhoundian said the company already exports its products to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Russia and was planning to export around 100,000 sets of brake pads in 2025.

Perhaps more significant from an industrial perspective are recent applications of nanocoatings designed to combat corrosion and wear in heavy machinery.

In June 2026, INIC highlighted a nanocoating technology developed to improve the durability and service life of industrial components.

According to its developers, the technology can extend the operating life of turbine blades by up to 2,000 hours and increase the production capacity of aluminum molds by more than three times.

Field tests showed a marked difference between conventional and nanocoated turbine blades. Conventional blades developed substantial corrosion after around 133 hours of operation, while blades protected with the nanostructured coating maintained their initial performance for more than 2,000 hours.

Applications beyond turbine components

The technology has applications beyond turbine components. Aluminum extrusion molds, for example, are exposed to continuous mechanical stress and can wear rapidly.

A conventional aluminum mold can produce around 300 kilograms of profile before requiring replacement. With the application of ceramic nanocoatings, that figure has increased to around 3,200 kilograms.

That represents more than a tenfold increase in the production capacity of each mold, potentially reducing replacement costs and minimizing production interruptions.

Dr. Hassan Elmkhah, the company’s director, said the nanostructured ceramic coatings could be used in aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, precision tooling and mining machinery.

“One of the main concerns across all these industries is the high cost of purchasing tools and consumable equipment, as well as the downtime required to replace them,” Elmkhah said.

“These nanoscale coatings effectively address this problem by significantly extending the useful life of components.”

He said the technology could also increase productive operating time.

“For example, in forging mold production, the use of these coatings has increased operating time by 50 percent,” he said. “The useful life of gear-cutting tools has also doubled.”

According to Elmkhah, the longer service life reduces the need for spare parts and minimizes unplanned machinery downtime, ultimately improving the profitability of manufacturing operations.

The technology behind these applications involves sophisticated surface engineering. Components that can be placed inside a vacuum chamber are first cleaned and prepared before entering the coating system. Metals such as titanium or cobalt are vaporized at high temperatures, while gases such as nitrogen are introduced into a controlled atmosphere. A nanoscale layer is then deposited onto the component’s surface.

Although extremely thin, the coating can significantly alter the physical and chemical properties of the underlying material, improving its resistance to wear, corrosion and other forms of degradation.

The company developing these coatings operates two industrial machines and three laboratory systems and provides specialized coating services to industrial companies and research centers.

Based at the Innovation and Technology Commercialization Center of Sharif University of Technology, the company has provided services to more than 200 industrial companies.

One of its major projects involved coating 12 gas turbines for an oil-sector engineering company, with the results demonstrating a substantial improvement in component durability.

The company’s coatings can achieve hardness levels exceeding 2,000 Vickers, approximately six times the hardness of conventional substrate materials. They have also demonstrated corrosion resistance of up to 700 hours in standard salt-spray testing.

The combination of high hardness, wear and corrosion resistance, and extended service life illustrates how nanotechnology is increasingly being deployed as a practical industrial tool rather than remaining confined to the laboratory.

A shift toward greener industrial processes

Anti-corrosion nanocoatings are another area in which Iranian companies are developing domestic technologies that match international standards.

One example is nanoscale zirconium conversion coating, developed for the preparation and protection of metal surfaces, particularly in the metal and home-appliance industries.

The knowledge-based company Shiler Process Pars has developed the technology as an alternative to conventional chromate and phosphate coating processes.

The company, established in 2008 with the aim of developing advanced technologies for Iranian industry, has become a supplier to automotive manufacturers, home-appliance producers and manufacturers of iron, aluminum and galvanized components.

The nanoscale zirconium process can replace older coating methods that rely on hazardous chromium compounds, which are highly detrimental to the environment. Its developers say the technology provides stronger and more durable protection while using significantly smaller quantities of material.

The process can also reduce production costs. Engineering assessments cited in reports indicate that it can cut operational costs by between 25 and 50 percent, partly through lower energy consumption.

Unlike conventional heat-intensive processes, the zirconium-based process operates at ambient temperatures. The coating process can also be completed in less than a minute, potentially improving production efficiency.

The company has also localized the production of strategic raw materials, including liquid tin sulfate, which is used in anodizing processes for aluminum and galvanized components.

Beyond production, Shiler Process Pars has worked on standardization and obtained nanoscale certification for its products. It has also contributed to the development of a national standard for nanoscale conversion coatings.

The environmental benefits are another important aspect of the technology. By reducing the use of hazardous chemicals and lowering water consumption, the process can help make industrial coating operations safer and more sustainable.

Iranian-made equipment competing on price and performance

Iran’s capabilities are not limited to coating materials and services. Domestic companies are also manufacturing advanced PVD equipment.

The Nano Coating Fanavaran Jam company develops PVD systems for producing hard nanocoatings designed to significantly increase the service life of industrial components. Applications include automotive, oil and gas, aerospace, and medical industries.

According to a winter 2025 report by the INIC, the company’s equipment is offered at prices 50 to 70 percent lower than comparable European systems. The resulting coatings can substantially increase resistance to wear, corrosion and friction while extending component life.

The Iranian systems also offer simultaneous deposition of different nanolayers, high deposition speeds and locally available after-sales services.

The company has already exported its products to China and is negotiating with additional markets, with plans to expand into East Asia and Turkey.

Such developments indicate that Iranian companies are not only seeking to replace imported equipment but are also developing products with export potential.

From decorative coatings to high-value technology

The structure of Iran’s nanocoating market shows both the progress already made and the opportunities that remain. Around 61.5 percent of the current nanocoating market is still associated with decorative applications, and PVD-based decorative products continue to dominate.

But developments in 2025 and 2026 indicate a gradual shift toward functional and engineered coatings.

Applications in industrial turbines, automotive components, brake pads, oil and gas equipment, aluminum molds, and metal-surface preparation demonstrate that the industry is expanding beyond appearance-oriented products.

In other words, Iran’s nanocoating sector is gradually moving from the production of decorative surfaces toward technologies designed to solve complex industrial problems.

That shift could become one of the most important developments in the sector in the coming years.

Growing export potential

Iran’s broader nanotechnology sector is already demonstrating a significant international presence.

In 2024, Iranian nanotechnology companies exported $183 million worth of products to 63 countries. Major markets included Iraq, Turkey, India, Venezuela, Pakistan and Russia.

The figure covers the entire nanotechnology sector rather than nanocoatings alone. Total nanotechnology exports increased by around 26 percent in 2024, while exports accounted for 10.2 percent of the sector’s market.

For PVD specifically, official data cited by the INIC put exports at $287 million over the five years ending in 2024. The second Iran Nano Export Award in 2025 also highlighted the growing value of technology-intensive exports.

In the export value-creation category, which measures export value relative to product weight, Nano DarouPazhouhanPardis ranked first, Nano-Structured Coatings second, and ExirNovin Process Asia third.

This indicator is particularly relevant to nanocoatings and coating equipment because many advanced PVD products and deposition systems are relatively low in weight but carry high technological value.

It suggests that one of Iran’s potential advantages in this market may lie not in competing with mass producers on volume, but in exporting high-value, technology-intensive products.

Iran’s position in global nanotechnology

Iran’s broader scientific position in nanotechnology provides an important foundation for the development of its nanocoating industry.

According to STATNANO, Iran ranked sixth globally in the number of nanotechnology publications in 2025, placing the country among the world’s leading producers of nanotechnology research.

The country also has a substantial portfolio of commercialized nanotechnology products. In 2024, more than 1,700 products had received nanoscale certification, while around 470 companies were active in the sector.

Iran has also increasingly sought to move from producing nanotechnology products to contributing to international standards.

In 2025, Iranian experts were reported to have played a leading role in the development and publication of 13 international nanotechnology standards. Iran was ranked fourth globally in this area, after the United States, South Korea and China.

This is particularly important for export-oriented companies. International standards can determine whether a product is accepted in a foreign market, meaning that technological development must increasingly go hand in hand with standardization.

A technology base with room to grow

Iran’s nanocoating industry has already built a substantial domestic foundation: a large market, more than 140 identified companies, locally manufactured PVD equipment, industrial production lines, a growing portfolio of functional coatings and experience in exporting technology-intensive products.

The sector’s strongest current base remains PVD and decorative coatings. Yet the emergence of technologies for turbines, industrial molds, automotive components, oil and gas equipment, anti-corrosion systems and advanced surface engineering points to a broader transformation.

The most promising development is therefore not simply the size of today’s market, but the direction in which the industry is moving.

Iranian companies are increasingly developing the equipment, materials and know-how needed to engineer surfaces for demanding industrial environments. At the same time, they are gaining experience in international certification, standardization and exports.

If this transition continues, nanocoatings could become an increasingly important part of Iran’s high-tech manufacturing and export ecosystem, turning a technology that once belonged primarily to research laboratories into a practical tool for improving industrial efficiency, reducing costs and extending the life of critical equipment.

---

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir