Nickel-PTFE-Nanodiamond Coatings

August 8, 2017

Jennifer Shuttleworth

Nanodiamond material specialist Carbodeon (Helsinki, Finland) has worked with metal finishing specialist CCT Plating (Stuttgart, Germany) to develop a new electroless nickel polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nanodiamond composite coating. Electroless nickel-PTFE (EN-PTFE) coatings offer anti-adhesive and low-friction properties, but are traditionally soft and wear quickly in abrasive conditions. By adding NanoDiamond particles to the EN-PTFE coating, Carbodeon claims to have improved the abrasive wear resistance of these coatings without compromising the sliding or release properties. The nanodiamond material consists of small, spherical diamond nanoparticles that are specially treated to make them disperse in coating liquids and carry a positive electrical charge on their surfaces. Target applications include: automotive components, including engine parts, chassis parts and body mechanisms; plastics forming molds, including complex structures, moving cores and slides; military applications requiring hard wearing and lubricant-free operations; and printing and textile production equipment and machinery.