Non-stick surface
Encyclopedia
A non-stick surface is a surface engineered to reduce the ability of other materials to stick to it. A non-stick coating may be applied to a substrate to produce such a surface. One common application of non-stick coatings is cookware. Until recently, Teflon has dominated this market. However, there are environment and health concerns related to the use of Teflon. Teflon contains Perfluorooctanoic acid
, which is designated as a Persistent Organic Pollutant
under the Stockholm Convention
and is targeted to be phased out. More recently, many alternatives to the familiar Teflon non-stick cookware have become available, including Thermolon, ScanPan technology, Ecolon
, and hard anodized aluminum.
used to refer to their non-stick products.
emissions vs. Teflon coatings. These claims have not been verified.
Perfluorooctanoic acid
Perfluorooctanoic acid , also known as C8 and perfluorooctanoate, is a synthetic, stable perfluorinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant. One industrial application is as a surfactant in the emulsion polymerization of fluoropolymers. It has been used in the manufacture of such prominent...
, which is designated as a Persistent Organic Pollutant
Persistent organic pollutant
thumb|right|275px|State parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic PollutantsPersistent organic pollutants are organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes...
under the Stockholm Convention
Stockholm Convention
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an international environmental treaty, signed in 2001 and effective from May 2004, that aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants .- History :...
and is targeted to be phased out. More recently, many alternatives to the familiar Teflon non-stick cookware have become available, including Thermolon, ScanPan technology, Ecolon
Ecolon
Ecolon , is a ceramic-glass reinforced Nylon 6 or Perlon coating, commonly used in cookware and set to replace the older Polytetrafluoroethylene non-stick coating aka PTFE or Teflon. Perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA, used in the production of PTFE-coated cookware, is suspected of being a carcinogen...
, and hard anodized aluminum.
Teflon
Teflon is a trademark of DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
used to refer to their non-stick products.
- PolytetrafluoroethylenePolytetrafluoroethylenePolytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that finds numerous applications. PTFE is most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon....
(PTFE), a synthetic fluoropolymerFluoropolymerA fluoropolymer is a fluorocarbon based polymer with multiple strong carbon–fluorine bonds. It is characterized by a high resistance to solvents, acids, and bases.-History:Fluoropolymers were accidentally discovered in 1938 by Dr. Roy J...
which finds numerous applications. PTFE's most well known trademark in the industry is the DuPont brand name Teflon. Perfluorooctanoic acidPerfluorooctanoic acidPerfluorooctanoic acid , also known as C8 and perfluorooctanoate, is a synthetic, stable perfluorinated carboxylic acid and fluorosurfactant. One industrial application is as a surfactant in the emulsion polymerization of fluoropolymers. It has been used in the manufacture of such prominent...
is an artificial acid; one of its most common uses is for processing polytetrafluoroethylene. See also polymer fume feverPolymer fume feverPolymer fume fever or fluoropolymer fever, also informally called Teflon flu, is an inhalation fever caused by the fumes released when Polytetrafluoroethylene is heated to between 300 °C and 450 °C. When PTFE is heated above 450 °C the pyrolysis products are different and inhalation may cause...
. - DuPont markets several kinds of Teflon coatings for cookware. Arranged in order of decreasing price and durability they are: DuPont™ Autograph®, DuPont™ Teflon® Platinum Pro, DuPont™ Teflon® Platinum, DuPont™ Teflon® Select, DuPont™ Teflon® Xtra, DuPont™ Teflon® Classic and DuPont™ Teflon® with Radiance Technology.
- PerfluoroalkoxyPerfluoroalkoxyPerfluoroalkoxy or PFA is a type of fluoropolymer with properties similar to polytetrafluoroethylene . It differs from the PTFE resins in that it is melt-processable using conventional injection molding and screw extrusion techniques....
, another fluoropolymer with properties similar to PTFE, also sold under the Teflon brand name - Fluorinated ethylene propyleneFluorinated ethylene propyleneFluorinated ethylene propylene or FEP is a copolymer of hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluoroethylene. It differs from the PTFE resins in that it is melt-processible using conventional injection molding and screw extrusion techniques. Fluorinated ethylene propylene was invented by DuPont and is sold...
, "Teflon FEP"
Thermolon
Thermolon is a trademark of the Thermolon Corporation. Thermolon is a patented mineral polymer based on silicon oxides. The Thermolon corporation claims that its coating provides environmental benefits related not only to the absence of any toxic chemicals, but also to the lower curing temperature of the coating, which reduces energy use. Thermolon Corporation claims that this lowers Greenhouse GasGreenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions vs. Teflon coatings. These claims have not been verified.
ScanPan
ScanPan markets non-stick cookware made with patented Ceramic Titanium technology. While the non-stick coating still utilizes PTFE, it is applied without using PFOA as an emulsifier. The product is therefore marketed as "100% PFOA free", but this does not mean the coatings are free of fluorinated organic chemicals.See also
- TefalTefalTefal is a French cookware and small appliance manufacturer owned by Groupe SEB. Its name is a portmanteau of the words TEFlon and ALuminium.Tefal is known for creating the non-stick cookware category....
- Teflon tape
- Teflon (nickname)
- SilpatSilpatSilpat is the brand name of a silicone mat used in baking and in the production of candy to provide a non-stick surface without fat or parchment paper. Silpats contain a Fiberglass weave that reinforces the silicone...
- Electroless nickel platingElectroless nickel platingElectroless nickel plating is an auto-catalytic chemical technique used to deposit a layer of nickel-phosphorus or nickel-boron alloy on a solid workpiece, such as metal or plastic. The process relies on the presence of a reducing agent, for example hydrated sodium hypophosphite which reacts with...
- Lunac (alloy and trans-ceramic coatings)Lunac (alloy and trans-ceramic coatings)Lunac refers to two kinds of coating developed by the WMV laboratories. Lunac 1 is a metallic glass coating with particularly good non-stick properties, used mainly for coating the insides of dies used in plastic molding; Lunac 2 + is a very hard trans-ceramic coating, resistant to abrasive...
- Silverstone (plastic)Silverstone (plastic)Silverstone is a non-stick plastic coating. A three-coat fluoropolymer system that produces a more durable finish than Teflon, Silverstone was released in 1976 by DuPont.-External links:*...
- Excalibur (coating)Excalibur (coating)Excalibur is a tradename for a non-stick coating system developed by Whitford Corporation and introduced in 1993.The Excalibur coating system consists of three layers of polytetrafluoroethylene applied over a specially-prepared metallic substrate...