Coating cuts surface friction by 66%

Called uDiamond Vox D, the coating integrates a liquid dispersion of 4 to 6nm NanoDiamond particles with PTFE molecules, without the need for additional surfactants. The company says it enables CO2 and fuel reductions in equipment used in the aerospace, automotive and industrial sectors, cutting costs and improving product lifecycle. Carbodeon CTO Vesa Myllymäki commented: "We have been developing this application over a number of years, starting with traditional NanoDiamond materials. This is a breakthrough improvement in fluoropolymer friction and durability." Myllymäki says the improvements in durability and friction come in part because of the properties of the diamond material that the particles are composed of, but also because of the changes to the overall coating structure caused by the presence of the particles themselves. "The use of hard particles to improve the durability of coatings is well known, but the combination of small size and surface functionalisation in the uDiamond Vox D coating means that the particles are interfaced with PTFE molecules in a fundamentally different way," he continued. uDiamond Vox D is supplied as an aqueous or solvent-based dispersion ready for direct mixing into a PTFE coating.