Non-Stick/Release

This is a result of the low surface energy that is a particular feature of fluoropolymers. Very few solid substances will permanently adhere to a fluoropolymer coating.

Non-stick properties are generally associated with food release and bakeware applications. However there are many other applications where non-stick properties are required such as moulding rubber, elastomers, epoxy resins, also, heat sealing, packaging and in processing applications where unwanted residue or particulate causes problems.

There is a huge range of Teflon and Xylan coating systems available to suit all applications. There are single layer, resin bonded matrix systems that contain a blend fluoropolymer and resins that provide adhesion and strength and allows the coatings to be applied to thicknesses of between 10 – 30 microns. These coatings often contain pigments to give a pleasing appearance and in some cases mica or metallic particles to give a sparkle effect.

Multi-layer systems consist of a primer or basecoat, in some cases, a mid-coat and finally a topcoat that can be almost pure fluoropolymer. The curing process will chemically bond each layer together to create the finished film. The thickness of a multi-layer coating system will normally be greater than that of a single layer system and in most cases more costly due to the increased level of material and processing time.

The fluoropolymer that generally gives the best non-stick properties is FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene). A coating system with a pure FEP topcoat will give superb non-stick properties. FEP can be blended with various resin systems to create a highly effective non-stick coating. However, FEP has temperature limitations and is not suitable for applications that exceed 205°c.

In cases where higher in-use temperatures are used, coating systems containing PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or PFA (perfluoralkoxy) can be used. These fluoropolymers can withstand 260°c continuously and 290°c intermittently, which is most relevant in heat sealing applications. These are also available in single layer or multi-layer systems. We will always listen carefully to ensure that we provide the most appropriate coating system, based upon the information about your process that you have provided to us.