By the end of 2016, the global market for fluoropolymers is expected to increase from $6.7 billion US in 2015 to $7.1 billion US. The material is replacing many traditional substances. It is taking the place of straight metal and glass. Companies are now using fluoropolymer coating on various substrates to create a high performance product for industries as diverse as cookware production and military aircraft.
Describing Fluoropolymer Coatings
Fluoropolymers are polymers containing molecules of both fluorine and carbon. They combine the durability with non-stick qualities. As a coating, even under stress conditions, it is characterized by desirable properties. They are found to possess:
* Durability
* Excellent corrosion resistance
* Exceptional chemical resistance
* Superior electrical resistance
* Great abrasion resistance
* Friction reduction
* Resistance to galling
* The ability to withstand high temperatures
* Water repellant qualities i.e. they do not easily absorb water
Furthermore, the coatings resulting for the process are smooth, hard and slick. These characteristics make a fluoropolymer coating a process in high demand by many industries.
In High Demand: Fluoropolymer Applications
Fluoropolymers are in high demand for use in industrial coatings because they possess some very desirable qualities – including three major one:
1. Non-sticking
2. Insulation
3. Resistance to water
Traditionally, the material has been employed in the cookware and food industries. We all have some form of non-stick cookware in our kitchen. However, since this earlier discovery, research has found many more applications for fluoropolymers including some in high-tech industries. Below is a small list of industries that use fluoropolymer coatings in their products:
Aircraft Industry: The coating acts to protect/insulate the wiring to reduce the risk of fire on aircraft
Printing and Packaging Industries: Coating are applied to ink trays, rolls, and frames to make certain the components roll smoothly without any risk of items passed through sticking and clogging up the mechanisms.
Food and Cookware Industry: This makes the containers, bread pans, cake pans, cookie sheets, etc., stick-free
Automotive Industry: As one of the biggest users of fluoropolymers, the automotive industry employs it in such things as ball bearings and gears
IT and Semiconductor Industry: Fluoropolymers coatings provide the products with ultra-high purity (UHP) and corrosion protection. They are used for carriers, piping, and fittings as well as printed circuit boards
Fluoropolymer Coating
The demand for fluoropolymer coatings is not waning but growing. Since its initial use in non-stick cookware, researchers have discovered various other uses that have nothing to do with the food industry. Like many accidental discoveries, it has found its place in many modern industrial applications. In fact, the appetite for the once single-use fluoropolymer coating continues to balloon far beyond the earlier expectations.
