Surprising Benefits of Industrial Corrosion Resistant Coatings
Posted on April 29th, 2022 by Mallory McGuinness
Industrial corrosion-resistant coatings protect components against degradation caused by exposure to elements in the operating environment, including salt spray, humidity, moisture, submersion, and industrial chemicals.
The coatings comprise a range of materials such as resins or polymers, including epoxy and urethane, and act as a barrier that inhibits contact between corrosive materials or chemical compounds.
Your specifications will dictate the type of material you choose as a coating, but industrial application environments generally necessitate a significant degree of corrosion protection. Other requirements may include durability, aesthetics, and compliance with environmental regulations.
Parylene conformal coatings meet all of these requirements and more, presenting an ideal coating solution for many industrial applications. Parylene comes in various types, including Parylene N, Parylene C, and Parylene F (VT-4), and exhibits the superior barrier properties a highly corrosive industrial application will require.
Parylene Properties for Industrial Applications
Parylene is an Anti-Corrosion Coating
Parylene, in particular, Parylene C, performs particularly well as a barrier to corrosion because the coating minimizes the following factors’ influence:
- Water vapor permeability – Parylene has a low WVTR (water vapor transmission rate) for a polymer coating.
- Liquid water uptake – Parylene absorbs very little water.
- Ionic permeability – Salts cannot easily pass through Parylene coating.
- Coating porosity – Parylene is a pore/pinhole-free coating.
- Oxygen permeability – Parylene has low oxygen permeability for a polymer coating.
The table below compares the Gas Permeability and WVTR of Parylene with other conformal materials:
| Polymer | Gas Permeability at 25 °C, (cc·mm)/(m2·day·atm) | WVTR,(g·mm)/(m2·day) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N2 | O2 | CO2 | H2 | H2S | SO2 | CI2 | ||
| Parylene C | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 43.3 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 0.1 | 0.08 |
| Parylene N | 3.0 | 15.4 | 84.3 | 212.6 | 313 | 745 | 29.2 | 0.59 |
| Parylene F (VT-4) | – | 16.7 | – | – | – | – | – | 0.28 |
| Epoxy (ER) | 1.6 | 4 | 3.1 | 43.3 | – | – | – | 0.94 |
| Polyurethane (UR) | 31.5 | 78.7 | 1,181 | – | – | – | – | 0.93 |
| Silicone (SR) | – | 19,685 | 118,110 | 17,710 | – | – | – | – |
Ref.: Licari, James J. Coating Materials for Electronic Applications – Polymers, Processes, Reliability, Testing. William Andrew Publishing, 2003 and various companies’ literature.
Parylene also exhibits exceptional resistance to reagents and solvents, including the following:
| Acids, Bases, Corrosives |
|---|
| Hydrochloric acid, 10% |
| Sulfuric acid, 10% |
| Nitric acid, 10% |
| Hydrofluoric acid, 10% |
| Sodium hydroxide solution, 10% |
| Ammonium hydroxide solution, 10% |
| Hydrogen peroxide in water (H2O2) |
Watch Dr. Sean Clancy expand on Parylene chemical resistance in his webinar
| Organic Solvents |
|---|
| n-Octane |
| Toluene |
| Chlorobenzene |
| Pyridine |
| 2-Propanol (IPA) |
| Acetone |
Parylene as a Green Coating
Parylene is an inherently sustainable solution that complies with REACH, RoHS, and Prop 65. With Parylene, there are:
- No VOCs
- No Solvents
- No Catalysts
- No Disposal Issues
- No Pollution Threats
Parylene Durability
Parylene coatings are highly durable and, when applied correctly, will sustain protection for most industrial components’ lifecycles.
Lifetime of HZO coatings at different temperatures in air (with oxygen)
| 60 °C | 80 °C | 135 °C | 150 °C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parylene C | ~100 years | ~20 years | ~70 hours | ~24 hours |
| Parylene N | ~10 years | ~1 years | ~9 hours | ~1 hour |
Parylene Aesthetics for Industrial Applications
Parylene is a transparent coating that retains clarity for the duration of your product’s lifespan, avoiding aesthetic issues that other coating types may present.
Other Beneficial Parylene Properties for Industrial Coatings
- Thinness – HZO Parylene passed the IPC CC-830C test at 50% of the film thinness of conventional conformal coatings.
- Submersion protection – HZO coatings have been tested for up to 1,000 hours of submersion.
- Humidity protection – As a barrier coating, Parylene is an ideal solution for humidity, which can pass through seals.
- Salt spray resistance – HZO coatings have passed extensive salt spray testing
- Beneficial thermal properties – Parylene has a high melting temperature, particularly Parylene N, maintaining performance at up to 420 °C
- Strong electrical properties – High dielectric strength, low dielectric constant
At HZO, we focus on providing dependable outcomes for our customers with Parylene coatings. Our Parylene solution is ideal for protecting components associated with the following industrial applications:
- Motors/Drives/Controls
- Robotics
- Industrial Process Equipment
- Mobile Hydraulics and Electronics
- Control Room Sensors, Metering, and Monitoring Devices
- Electrical Power Systems
- Relays/Contractors/Switches
- Antennas
- Distributed Control Systems
- Electrical Power Generation/Storage
- Transmitters/Receivers/APS
- Powertrains
- HVAC Equipment and Sensors
- Distributed Energy Storage
- Oil & Gas Products
Industrial Coating Services with HZO
In addition to quality, we focus on making Parylene more cost-efficient and scalable through proprietary processes and equipment. If you desire the level of reliability that Parylene can provide, you can learn more about our manufacturing advantages or reach out to our engineering team to discuss your project.
Mallory McGuinness
Mallory McGuinnessDiscover how HZO can protect your product