Blending Signature® DNA into Silicone Rubber

Production and sustainment of US Defense infrastructure and systems relies on the procurement and use of authentic elastomer materials and end products. The Office of Secretary of Defense has issued Applied DNA Sciences (ADNAS) a Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) award to create a single authentication platform to secure up to sixty-six Federal Supply Class (FSC) commodities. The RIF contract is managed by US Defense Logistics Agency, who has chosen FSC’s based on the degree of risk for counterfeiting. Several of these FSC’s include materiel and products that utilize elastomers and cover several large commercial sectors.

ADNAS has partnered with gasketing manufacturer, SAS Industries, to embed our proprietary SigNature® DNA taggants into base materials used in the manufacturing of o-rings, gaskets, and sealant parts. The two base materials include Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) and silicone composite containing conductive silver-coated, copper microspheres. Our paper will include the process of incorporation and authentication of SigNature DNA markers from injection molded parts and their corresponding colorants, as well as from the DNA embedded within highly conductive materials. The data to be shown is the first “information rich” molecular marking within engineered, military-grade synthetic materials.

ADNAS provides DNA-based authentication solutions that protect products, brands and entire supply chains. ADNAS’ laboratory can generate enough of any unique DNA mark to meet the highest volume production, typically required by Fortune 100 companies. This work suggests the beginning of a fundamentally new approach to the manufacturer of engineered materials, where “key information” is homogenously embedded throughout a product.