Taggant Technologies
Taggants are microscopic or nano materials that are uniquely encoded and virtually impossible to duplicate—like a fingerprint. They can be incorporated into or applied to a wide variety of materials, surfaces, products and solutions.
A single taggant can be used for an application, or multiple taggant technologies can work together to create a higher level of security.
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Taggants can be used for simple yes/no identification and authentication or more complex identification purposes, such as:
- Time and location of manufacture for product warranty or liability
- Authorized production to address contract manufacturer over runs
- Product distributor to address gray marketing or product diversion issues
- Product dilution to ensure correct loading of an active material has been incorporated in the final product
There are countless uses for taggants, including quantitative analysis of materials—a good option for verifying specified materials have not been diluted, substituted or otherwise changed.
Microtrace has been the leading manufacturer of taggant technologies since 1985 and offers several types of taggants, each with unique strengths for specific applications. Whether you need taggants for bulk materials identification or for small, controlled applications like printing, we have a taggant technology to meet your needs.
We can deliver any of our taggants in bulk for incorporation into materials or pre-mixed or applied to materials that incorporate directly into your production process (i.e., security inks or plastic resin masterbatch).
Microtrace has a variety of Delivery Formats and Taggant Readers.
Molecular
Taggants
- Description
- Molecular taggants are uniquely encoded for each customer or application. They are completely invisible and undetectable to the naked eye, soluble in water or solvent based systems, so it’s easy to incorporate just trace amounts in your product to be undetectable to counterfeiters. Our molecular taggant is delivered as a security ink, plastic masterbatch or incorporated into your raw materials as a concentrate formula.
- Common Uses
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- Brand protection
- Product authentication
- Product liability/ warranty
- Verification of load or mix rates
- Completely covert marking
- Delivery Formats
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- Formulated with customer raw material
- Plastic masterbatch
- Security ink
- Spray carrier
- Pros
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- Uniquely encoded
- Completely invisible (soluble in water or solvent based systems)
- Undetectable to counterfeiters/reverse engineering
- Quick and simple field identification and verification/ non-destructive test
- Simple reading/ no training necessary
- Ability to detect loading or mix ratios
- Can be used in liquids – gasoline, oil
- Nearly impossible to replicate
- Well suited for all types of materials and surfaces
- Cons
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- Relatively expensive handheld reader
- Single authentication method
- Readers
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- Molecular Reader
Spectral
Taggants
- Description
- Microtrace spectral taggants, delivered as security inks, are uniquely encoded for your application and can be read with our hand-held detectors.
- Common Uses
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- Brand protection
- Product authentication
- Delivery Formats
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- Security Inks
- Pros
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- Uniquely encoded
- Quick and simple field verification/ non-destructive test
- Delivered as press ready ink – any color of ink.
- Simple reading/no training necessary
- Cons
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- Use is limited to security inks or materials where small concentrate spot can be applied
- Readers
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- Spectral Reader
Microtaggant®
Particles
- Description
- What you can’t see can make all the difference for protecting your brand, authenticating materials and preventing product diversion. Originally developed by 3M, Microtrace Microtaggant particles are microscopic—ranging in size from 20 microns to 1,200 microns. Each particle is uniquely encoded for your application—like a fingerprint—and can be detected in multiple ways, starting with our inexpensive, handheld readers.
- Common Uses
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- Brand protection
- Product diversion tracing
- Identification of authorized production
- Identify time and location of manufacture
- Liability/warranty issues
- Bulk material identification (for product mixing)
- Product authentication
- Delivery Formats
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- Dry powder that incorporates into bulk materials or products
- Compounded plastic resins
- Security inks
- Security threads
- Adhesives
- Films/ shrink sleeves/ laminates
- Thermal transfers
- Paper
- Labels
- Spray carrier
- Pros
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- Uniquely encoded for each customer or application
- Inexpensive reading enables field reading (USD$20)
- Multiple ways to identify and authenticate
- Quick and easy authentication
- Multiple levels of security- single delivery format
- Low loading level
- Invisible/nearly invisible to naked eye
- Nearly impossible to replicate
- Can be incorporated and detected in most materials
- Cons
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- Microscopic particles are opaque and not soluble
- Smallest particle is 20 microns
- Color codes are not machine readable (additives are)
- Will settle in low viscosity liquids
- Does not work well in high carbon black, high temperature or high shear materials
- Readers
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- Laser Pen
- UV Lights
- Audible Detector
- Microscopes
Up-Converting
Phosphors
- Description
- Microtrace up-converting phosphors / anti-stokes phosphors are microscopic ceramic powders that convert invisible infrared light wavelengths to either visible light or different infrared wavelengths. Our IR phosphors can emit visible green, red, orange or blue color.
- Common Uses
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- Brand Protection
- Delivery Formats
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- Bulk powder
- Plastic Masterbatch
- Security Ink
- Pros
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- Visual identification
- 1-5 micron particle size
- Very high thermal stability
- Stable to UV exposure
- Cons
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- NOT uniquely encoded to customer or application
- Several manufacturers of the very same material
- Readers
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- Laser pen
- Audible detector
Microdots and
Microlabels
- Description
- Microdots and Microlabels are a reliable option for accurate property identification. Microdots are microscopic particles that are 1,000 microns with alpha-numeric sequences or barcodes printed or laser etched on their surface. Microtrace microlabels are simply microdots with adhesive backing.
- Common Uses
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- Property Identification
- Delivery Formats
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- Bulk particle form
- Incorporated in adhesive carrier for application
- As a microlabel
- Pros
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- Alphanumeric encoding easily read or interpreted by law enforcement
- Cons
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- Per unit cost prohibitive for brand protection applications
- Readers
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- Microscopes
- Microdot Reader