Teflon®: More Than Just Teflon®

It is hard to go a day without hearing or reading the word “Teflon.” It has become so ingrained in our modern verbiage that it’s one of those trademark names, like Kleenex® or Post-It®, that gets used to cover a much broader range than it actually means. Teflon® is a little different though: while it may occasionally be used to refer to other non-stick coatings, the real difference is that there are so many different formulations that fall under the Teflon® umbrella, that the single name is now used to talk about 60 or 70 different chemistries.

These formulations include Teflon® PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PFA, and many more. Each of these amazing and groundbreaking formulations has different and often unique characteristics. Teflon® offers coatings that are non-stick, heat resistant, chemical resistant, water resistant, just to name a few. With all these choices, it is easy to get confused. Many of our customers know that they need Teflon® coatings for their machinery, however with 70 to choose from, they don’t always know exactly which formulation is perfect for their needs. That’s why PCM is here. We know everything there is to know about the Teflon® family of coating systems. If someone in the pharmaceutical industry calls us, we know that Teflon® ETFE and PFA are perfect to protect their equipment from harsh chemicals. When commercial bakers need coatings systems, we know that SBS-Teflon® is the right choice for them. It really doesn’t matter the industry, the experts at PCM have the perfect Teflon® coating system solution.

So don’t rely on just anyone when it comes to supplying you with the wonders of Teflon®. Because in the end, Teflon® really is more than just Teflon®.

Gardening with PCM

Gardening shears and scissors with Teflon®-SNothing is lovelier than a beautiful garden. The smells, the colors, it’s all so wonderful and calming. That is if you don’t have to tend to one! Despite the hard work, bug bites, and sunburns, Americans love to garden, and they love to spend money on it as well. U.S. households spent $29.1 billion on their lawns and gardens in 2011 – about $351 per household each year.  Some of those billions go to things like shears and scissors. These implements are great for pruning flowers, cutting grass, and even trimming hedges in cool shapes.  Companies like Fiskars, Klein, and even Martha Stewart make shears and scissors in wide variety of sizes and shapes.

As it turns out, the blades of some of the higher end models are coated with Teflon®. To be more exact, many of these companies use Teflon®-S. This unique Teflon formulation is a self-priming on-coat blend of Fluoropolymer, and we’ve noticed that these companies especially favor the 958 series. Teflon®-S is also perfect for sprinkler ball valves, fan blades, automotive fasteners, boat propellers, and saw blades.

When it comes to gardening, if you combine a high quality metal with Teflon®-S, you get a great pair of shears or scissors. So get out there and start pruning and cutting before the seasons change! Moreover, if you want to learn more about the miracle that is Teflon®-S, contact an expert at PCM today.

FORE!

Teflon and Golf BallsNothing says summer like a nice round of golf! Experts believe that 24 million people in the United States play golf on a regular basis. Out of those 24 million only 8,000 are professionals, so that leaves many golfers who may lose a golf ball or two (or 12) every time they play a round. It is one of the main reasons that companies like Nike, Titleist, Pinnacle, and Callaway manufacture and ship over 850 million golf balls each year.  Most golf balls come in three varieties: two-piece, three-piece, and dimple-covered shell. Two-piece are the most common and account for about 70% of all sales. The other two are made for better golfers, thus their lower popularity.

The ball itself is made of a combination of plastic and rubber. Most have a solid rubber core with a durable thermoplastic cover. In order to form the cover for the ball injection or compression molding is used. The core is placed in the middle of the mold and then the plastic is injecting into the mold to form the ball. This is where Teflon® coating comes into play. Once the plastic cools and hardens it has to be removed from the mold for painting and coating. As you might imagine, if you have to make a few million balls a year, you can’t risk having them stick in the molds. Teflon® to the rescue! Non-stick coatings allow the manufacturing process to remain fluid and therefore profitable by guaranteeing that every ball will be released from the mold in the proper fashion.  It’s just another great reason why Teflon® and PCM, make your life easier and in this case a lot more fun.