These days everyone wants the cheapest, strongest, and most attractive products. This occurs across all industries, the coating industry included. So many products, even ones you might not consider, use some type of polymer coating. Whether they use an ETFE or FEP coating, you may not be able to tell by looking, but there are a few differences between the two. And some industries prefer one type of coating over the other.
What’s the Difference Between ETFE and FEP Coating?
Both ETFE and FEP are both polymers and combine different compounds that bond together to make a non-stick plastic that can be used to coat a multitude of different surfaces across a variety of industries. Though they are both non-stick plastics that keep their molecular structure throughout extreme temperatures, they both excel in different areas.
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ETFE’s mechanical strength surpasses that of FEP coating. Mechanical strength refers to the plastics ability to withstand weight or bending or twisting. In other words, it takes more pressure and physical strain for ETFE to break.
The strength of FEP coating lies in its ability to withstand extreme temperatures that ETFE cannot. It keeps its molecular structure (in doing so, protecting the product it coats) under harsh heat and cold. It can withstand temperatures as hot as 392° Fahrenheit (200° Celsius) and as cold as -328° Fahrenheit (-200° Celsius).
Industry Uses
Both types of plastic are used across many industries. On almost any surface needing a coating, from car interiors to chemical vats to beer stills, you could theoretically find one of these plastics. The aerospace industry, the food industry, and the oil industry all use these coats in one form or another.
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FEP coating, because it withstands more extreme temperatures, is more likely to be found on products that must reach higher temperatures. It is commonly used on baking sheets and baking pans and stove-top cookery. It is also commonly used for any machinery that operates at extremely high temperatures. Both forms of plastic coatings are found in wiring, but FEP often features in wiring that needs to withstand severe temperatures but very little physical force and pressure.
Discover Which Coating Is Right for You
At Coating Systems, we try to steer you in the direction of the most profitable coating for your needs. When you come to us with your product and the needs of your product, we can direct you to the perfect coating. Contact Coating Systems to get started on your order.
