At AOTCO, we offer a variety of metal finishing services to our clients. Of those services, we provide four different kinds of anodizing processes:
Each of these processes provides their own set of benefits and qualities to their substrates, and each has their own unique industry applications. In this article we’d like to take a closer look at Hardcoat Anodize, and the benefits of combining it with Teflon.
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Teflon, or Polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE for short, is a strong, wax-like, non-flammable resin. PTFE is synthetically produced through the polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene. Teflon is non-reactive, hydrophobic, and has a very low coefficient of friction. Due to these qualities, Teflon is commonly used for non-stick cookware, as well as components that need to be resistant to friction like gaskets, gears, and slide plates.
The oxide layer that is formed during the Hardcoat anodizing process is porous, meaning its entire surface is covered with small holes. During the Teflon impregnation process, PTFE particles are placed on the surface of the oxide layer and, through a chemical reaction, are bonded to the substrate. Teflon particles are often too large to fit in the porous holes on the surface of the oxide layer, so the term impregnation is slightly misleading. Once bonded, the Teflon Hardcoat provides a hard, wear resistant, self-lubricating layer to its substrate.
With an array of beneficial qualities, PTFE impregnated Hardcoat anodize is utilized in a variety of different industries. Some of the most common industry applications of Hardcoat Anodize with Teflon Impregnation are:
AOTCO offers PFTE and Hardcoat anodizing services, as well as a plethora of other metal finishing services. We have a team of dedicated platers and engineers that are ready to aid in your next metal finishing project. If you have any questions about our Teflon and Hardcoat anodizing processes, or any other metal finishing inquiries, contact us at 1-888-275-0880!
