There are many different types of non-stick coatings on the market, although the Teflon™ brand of PTFE is probably the most widely known. Even though most people have heard of Teflon™, it doesn’t mean that the product is right for every application. Sometimes there is a much better answer.
FEP non-stick coatings are one example of an alternative to Teflon™. This type of coating is made by co-polymerizing hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene. So what makes FEP non-stick coating a potentially better solution than Teflon™? Here are the properties and common uses of this material.
- The crystalline melting point of FEP is 554 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has mechanical properties that make it be able to operate safely between cryogenic temperatures all the way up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- FEP is softer and has tensile strength that is quite a bit lower than many other types of engineering plastics and fluoropolymers.
- This type of coating is also very resistant to wear, unlike Teflon™.
- In addition, FEP is melt-processable. It’s somewhat similar to PFA coatings in this way, except that it has a heat stability that is lower.
- FEP is perfect for the creation of monolithic, continuous films, which is essential when you need strength in permeation, tiny pores, or better isolation of the base metal.
- This type of coating is also resistant to many different types of chemical actions and even oxidation. It can stand up to a number of very strong acids, ultraviolet rays and other radiation, ozone, alkali, and various types of oxidizing agents.
- FEP has a much lower absorption rate than almost all other non-stick coatings on the market. It absorbs very few common bases or acids, even when the temperature reaches up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, it absorbs very little of aqueous solutions and moisture.
- When this type of coating is exposed to extremely high temperatures for long periods of time, its increases in weight are usually less than one percent.
- FEP also has very low permeation rates for vapors and gases, especially when compared with other fluoropolymers. Permeation tends to increase with contact in surface area, as well as pressure and temperature. However it decreases when the thickness of the material is increased.
- FEP is very flexible at low temperatures and remains stable at high temperatures. It has a low friction coefficient and has dielectric strength. In addition, it resists corrosion and is extremely non-stick.
- FEP is used in a variety of ways, especially when better toughness and resistance to abrasion is needed. Some of the most common uses include plastic lab pieces, tubing that will be used for highly corrosive materials, and chemical equipment sheet linings. FEP is also commonly used in coaxial cables, especially those used in the aerospace industry. It can also be used as a coating for molds while the product they are forming cures.
Some common brand names for FEP include Teflon™ FEP, Neoflon FEP (made by Daikin), and Dyneon FEP (made by Dyneon / 3M).
FEP Non-Stick Coating
Let the experts at Toefco help you figure out if FEP non-stick coating is right for your project. They are ISO 9001 certified and also hold certifications in many different types of coating applications. Toefco offers Teflon™, Excalibur coating, Xylan, a wide variety of fluoropolymers, Nitrocoat, FEP, PVDF, ETFE, and many other different types of coatings. They will also engineer the right coating for your specific application. They understand why products off the shelf aren’t always the right answer to your problem, and they are experts at creating coatings that require out-of-the-box thinking.
To learn more about FEP coatings, call us at 888-912-5921 or ask an industrial coating engineer.