Fluororesin Coating: "What is the relationship between non-stick properties and water repellency?"

[Function Explanation] Understanding the mechanism of adhesion reveals the best release and surface treatment! Surface energy and water repellency | What is the relationship between non-stickiness and water repellency?

Why does fluoropolymer coating repel water? We will introduce the relationship between surface energy, non-stick properties, and water repellency. ■ The relationship between water droplets and surface energy The reason the surface of fluoropolymer coating repels water is that the surface tension of water acts strongly. The same principle applies to sticky substances. In other words, "difficult to wet = difficult to stick." The action of liquid surface tension is strongly related to the surface free energy of solids. Surface free energy is the force that tries to attract the molecules of the contacting counterpart. Water is a substance with higher surface tension compared to oil. When in contact with a solid that has the same surface free energy, oil tends to spread and wet more easily, while water tends to bead up and is harder to wet. The smaller the surface free energy of the solid compared to the liquid it contacts, and the greater the difference, the more difficult it becomes for the liquid to wet (stick). The surface of fluoropolymer coating has very low surface free energy, which allows it to repel not only water but also oil, making it an effective surface treatment for release purposes due to its low tendency to stick. For more details, please check the official Yoshida SKT website from the link below.

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