Plastics to enable ultimate secure ID card of the future

BANGALORE,INDIA: Scientists at GE Global Research, in collaboration with SABIC Innovative Plastics, have developed a new class of holographic materials that could enable the Secure ID card of the future.  Because the materials can be processed in plastic (to view a sample of an animated hologram in plastic, click here), this new technology could serve as a next generation platform for a variety of ID badges or cards, including:

·        Driver’s licenses and passports

·        Employee badges

·        Credit cards

·        Identity cards for health insurance and secure access

This Secure ID technology uses volume holography to store information in a much higher security format.  Holograms are commonly used today for a variety of ID and card applications to verify their authenticity.  However, because they are only stamped on the surface of a card, their authenticity can be compromised. GE-SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Secure ID technology stores holograms within the card material itself, making it virtually impossible for a card to be altered.

“Whether you’re buying something at the store, passing through an airport checkpoint, or presenting proof of health insurance at the doctor’s office, virtually all of our common, everyday transactions are carried out using plastic,” said Dr. Moitreyee Sinha, Manager, Functional and Optical Materials Lab. “Ensuring the security of our bank cards and different forms of ID is essential in this increasingly digital age. GE-SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Secure ID card technology will provide a true step change in the level of security, making it virtually impossible to steal a person’s identity or tamper with their cards in any way.”

Tom Stanley, Vice President of Technology, SABIC Innovative Plastics said, “The market opportunities for GE-SABIC Innovative Plastics’ holographic technology are numerous. Because these special holographic materials can be injection-molded, the potential applications of this technology could be expanded well beyond cards.  You could use our technology to verify the authenticity of a variety of products, ranging from laptop computers, cell phones and other electronic devices to sunglasses and other consumer goods.”

GE-SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Secure ID Card also could enable other new applications in the security and authentication sectors.  For example, fingerprinting and biometric scans used today to fast track airport screening, could be accelerated and made more robust by storing these records on the Secure ID card as a high resolution holographic image.

Dr. Sinha explained that using the entire volume of a plastic material to store holograms gives them a uniquely distinct appearance, which makes it virtually impossible to duplicate. And unlike surface holograms, GE-SABIC Innovative Plastics’ holographic technology can store multiple holograms in a plastic card that allows for more robust security and personalized features.

Dr. Sinha added, “We can store 3-D images of a person’s face, record their fingerprints and even create unique animations within our holographic plastic materials. We also can control the visibility of what a person can see on the card. This will enable varying levels of security features that are needed for different applications.”

GE scientists have been working on holographic technology for over six years. One of the biggest achievements of the program has been the ability to process holographic materials in plastic. These holographic materials can be directly laminated to a card, injection molded into a part, extruded into film, or cast into a very thin film.

Having these capabilities is opening up many potential applications for both GE and SABIC Innovative Plastics’ holographic technology. SABIC Innovative Plastics is exploring potential market opportunities for its holographic materials with card manufacturers. The technology and application development teams at SABIC Innovative Plastics, along with scientists at GE Global Research, are targeting commercialization of this new class of holographic materials by 2012.