Technologies
Knowing how to tame the tiger
What is fluorination?
Fluorination is defined as the surface treatment of plastics
and other materials with fluorine gas. Fluorination makes
preliminary, intermediate and end products suitable for further
processing or later use. By applying fluorine-nitrogen or
fluorine-air compounds to the base material, a micrometer-thick
layer of the surface is turned into a “functional thin
film”. This film alone determines how the carrier material
interacts with the environment.
Barrier fluorination:
Barrier fluorination uses compounds with a fluorine content
of 1% - 20%. The aim of this surface treatment is to modify
the base material to protect the surface from all types of
solvents, such as chemicals, organic solvents, oils and fuels.
Fluorination can also protect plastic surfaces against penetration
by moisture, vapours, odours and aromas. Fluorinated surfaces
even offer protection against attack by bacteria and microorganisms.
Surface activation:
Fluorine-air compounds with a low fluorine content improve
the adhesion properties of plastics and other base materials.
In contrast to barrier fluorination, this treatment increases
the surface energy and gives the surface hydrophilic properties.
Typical applications for this technology include the painting
and structuring of plastics, the bonding of plastics to one
another or to other materials, the natural and artificial
fibres industry, the manufacture of membranes and filter materials
and the production of fibre-reinforced construction materials.
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