In the world of low friction coatings, Xylan® is a superstar. A PTFE product (with mixes of PFA, FEP and other nonsticks), Xylan is a high performance thin film with serious release properties and excellent durability. However, you might be surprised to learn that underneath the slick surface, Xylan offers a wide range of additional properties that make it an excellent choice for needs beyond nonstick.  Here are just a few of the other reasons you might consider Xylan as the best coating for your needs.

 

For Compliance with Environmental Protection Directives

There's a reason that many of the world autmobile giants have selected Xylan 5230 and 5420 as approved engineering materials for their cars.  It's because these and some other Xylan coatings are free of chromium and other restricted heavy metals that conflict with the EU's "end-of-life" directive.  When it comes to compliance with enviromental regulations, Whitford has gone beyond the elimination of heavy metals to address issues like PFOA elimination and more.  If environmental compliance is an issue for you, Xylan should be one of the coatings you look at first.

 

For UV Protection

As Whitford notes in their own literature, UV protection and chemical resistance have an inverse relationship: as one goes up, the other goes down.  Nonetheless, Whitford has developed several Xylan coatings that offer all the low friction properties of Xylan with increased UV protection.  If both chemical resistance and UV protection are at issue, then a UV protective Xylan (5430, for example) might be best used as a topcoat over another Xylan or other coating that provides excellent chemical resistance.

 

For Corrosion and Chemical Resistance

It’s not often thought of as a go-to coating for chemical resistance, but the Xylan family of coatings offers good resistance to acids as well as steam, salt spray, auto fluids (especially 5230, 5420 and 1440), and more.  We recommend it frequently in situations where acid resistance is needed alongside other critical functional properties.  (It's also interesting to note that many Xylans are FDA-compliant.)

 

 

If you’re interested in learning more about Xylan®, call AIC or check out the excellent product guides created by Whitford. Visit their literature download page and scroll down to the industrial section to find a number of wel-written guides on uses for Xylan by industry.

 

Xylan is a registered trademark of Whitford Worldwide.