New routes to cleanliness : nanocomposite coatings offer advantages over PTFE in food production

Abstract

A new class of anti-adhesive coatings has been studied for potential use in industrial food production. They can be sprayed and cured at lower temperatures than current PTFE coatings. The polymer binder matrix incorporates perfluorinated comonomers and nanoscale hard particles. Polyurethane based systems gave the best abrasion and chemical resistance, but a polyimide-based system performed well in dry processing tests.