| GVD produces three key families of polymeric coatings,
each of which can be chemically and structurally modified and fine-tuned
to achieve properties tailored for a particular application:
> POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE
> ORGANOSILICONE
> FLUOROSILICONE
Additional polymers, as well as the incorporation of metals and
other inorganic materials into polymeric films for unique effects,
are under development at GVD.
Polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE)
Well known for its water-repellent and non-stick properties, PTFE
is also one of the most stable and chemically insensitive polymers.
However, this very stability renders PTFE intractable to conventional
polymer processing, and the ability to make PTFE thin films of precise
dimension and coverage has traditionally been very limited.
GVD has overcome these limitations and is able to produce PTFE
thin films of high purity and controlled thickness right down to
the submicron scale. GVD can produce patterned films of any geometry
or scale, and can conformally coat substrates of any size or shape.
GVD coatings can be made with exceptional transparency and low crystallinity.
One common form of PTFE is derived from the expansion of bulk polymer
to produce porous membranes. This imparts both breathability and
hydrophobicity to the material, exemplified by many water-repellent
fabrics on the market. GVD is capable of producing PTFE with a microstructure
and porosity totally distinct from these bulk materials. Traditionally
post-processing is required to introduce porosity into PTFE, and
the resulting structure is often of a limited pore size and distribution.
GVD's process designs and creates these microstructures right from
the molecular level, allowing us to introduce pore structures into
the growing film. The innately low surface tension of PTFE coupled
with the surface microstructure conveys extreme water-repellency
to normal surfaces and fibers that have been coated, producing the
so-called "lotus leaf" effect. |
