Like any paint, the liquid components of Teflon™ coatings tend to
separate gradually over time. Intech Services and Chemours® recommend mixing
all Teflon™ coatings before using and, when not being used regularly, mixing those
containers every 30 days. The 30-day recommendation ensures that the Teflon
coating will be usable for its entire shelf life, or even longer.
When we say “mix” we usually mean “roll,” but
always consult the
Teflon™ Fact Sheets in the “Handling and Storage” section. Some coatings may tolerate
mixing blades, but most times blade mixers and shakers are too aggressive and
can separate the fluoropolymer from the solids. Teflon coatings are sheer
sensitive, so mixing and shaking can damage the coating and adversely affect the
performance and quality of the cured coating.
Rolling both water- and solvent-based Teflon™coatings ensures proper
“reincorporation” of the solids in the coatings for consistently high-quality
applications over the product’s shelf life. For thorough reincorporation of the
solids, the container should be rolled before the first use each day for 30
minutes at 30 RPM. When coating intermittently throughout the day, 10 minutes
at 30 RPM each time is sufficient.
Intech Services supplies
Paint
Rollers
specifically designed for mixing Teflon™ paint. Constructed of solid
steel bars and a reinforced fiberglass base, these rollers can operate at variable
speeds and accommodate a variety of container sizes. You set the desired RPM
and a timer and the paint roller will turn off automatically after the time has
expired.
Sometimes when rolling, solids stay stuck to the bottom of the
container. If you notice this problem, stop the roller and use a stainless
steel blade to scrape the solids from the bottom of the container, then
continue rolling again. To make sure the solids are fully reincorporated,
test the
viscosity
.
All Teflon coating
Fact Sheets contain
the specific maintenance, handling, and storage information for the Teflon coating
process for that specific product. Shelf life is the amount of time, starting
from the date the coating was manufactured, that a coating can be stored and
still be fit for use. Each Teflon industrial coating line has a different shelf
life, but 12 to 18 months is typical.
Most Teflon paint should be stored at room temperature, but some
have special storage instructions that will keep a coating ready to use during
its full shelf life. For example, the acid primer 850G-204 needs to be
refrigerated. When in doubt, always refer to the Fact Sheet for specific
instructions about storage and rolling. Fact Sheets are always available online
under the “
Technical
Literature
” section of IntechServices.com.
