Teflon spray coating is probably best known because it has excellent nonstick properties. But beyond this, the substance has several other useful properties which make it a very great choice as a coating for components in a wide range of applications. The Teflon spray coating process adds these unique attributes to stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, steel alloys, magnesium and brass as well as to other non-metallic surfaces like fiberglass, glass, rubber materials and plastics.
Some beneficial properties of Teflon
- Non-stick. Almost no substance will adhere permanently to Teflon.
- Low coefficient of friction. Teflon is considered to have the third-lowest coefficient of friction from any known solid material.
- Non-wetting. Teflon repels both oils and water.
- Heat resistance. With the use of Teflon spray coating, you can operate continuously at temperatures which are as high as 260 degrees Celsius.
- Electrical. Teflon offers very high dielectric strength as well as other unique electrical properties.
- Cryogenic stability. Teflon spray coating is able to withstand temperatures which are as low as -270 degrees Celsius.
- Chemical resistance. Teflon is resistant to almost every kind of chemical.
What is Teflon?
Teflon’s scientific name is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which is a synthetic fluoroploymer. It is a very high molecular weight compound consists entirely of fluorine and carbon molecules. Teflon has a melting point of about 327 degrees Celsius or 621 degrees Fahrenheit with a density of 2200 kg/m3.
Like other great inventions, PTFE was created by accident. In the year 1938, Roy Plunkett, a researcher of the Kinetic Chemicals, discovered that iron inside of the pressure bottle containing the tetrafluoroethylene gas had acted a real catalyst because of the high pressure and also had transformed the gas into a perfluoroehtylene which is polymerized. Kinetic Chemicals patented the fluorinated plastic in the year 1941 and registered the trademark of Teflon in 1945. Teflon was used early in the Manhattan Project wherein it was used in coating seals and valves in pipes holding the highly reactive uranium hexafluoride. A French engineer created the first ever non-stick Teflon cooking pan in the year 1954 and the first ever US made Teflon coated frying pan was marketed as the Happy Pan and was sold to the public in 1961.
Teflon Coatings with Precision Coating
Precision Coating was the first Teflon licensed applicators and the mastery of tight-tolerance coating technology kept Teflon as the front runner of the industry. The company is committed in the continuous improvement of its processes in coating and also in delivering the best quality coatings for every client, every time.
Applications
Medical device needles and guide wires coated with Teflon which prevent blood from sticking to the device as it slowly navigates in the system of the human body. Like dropping a gooey and sticky substance on a heated frying pan and also not stick, Teflon coated guidewire does not allow blood to stick to the material, thereby preventing potential obstructions or clots.