What is Fluoropolymer Coating?
Many people may not have heard of fluoropolymer coating, but it is around us every day. Fluoropolymer is a polymer that is based in fluorocarbon and contains strong carbon-fluoride bonds. A polymer is a chemical compound that is made of several molecules and has a low mass. The polymer is a large class of compounds and includes both naturally occurring polymers and synthetic polymers. Therefore, a fluoropolymer is a very specific type of polymer that contains special properties.
The term fluoropolymer is basically an umbrella that includes many products with trade names that you may have heard of such as Teflon, Solef, Excalibur, Xylan and Algoflon. They are in high demand for use as industrial coatings because they have excellent non-stick properties, reduction of friction and resistance to corrosion. Fluoropolymers do not conduct electricity or absorb water.
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Advantages of Fluoropolymer Coating
There are many advantages of fluoropolymer coating. Some of the benefits are listed below:
- Coatings remain smooth and resistant even when exposed to corrosive environments.
- The bolts have up to 4,000 hours of corrosion resistance in a standard salt fog test.
- Coatings last longer in corrosive environments. This saves man-hours and reduces downtime.
- Coatings are smooth but very strong.
- Bolts coated with fluoropolymer provide even tensioning that is tighter and able to be acquired using less torque.
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Disadvantages of Fluoropolymer Coating
Fluoropolymer coating also has some disadvantages. 2 of the major drawbacks are:
- During assembly of the fasteners in the field, the fluoropolymer coating can become damaged.
- With damage to the fasteners, bare metal is exposed and corrosion begins causing the coating to fail.