Parylene coating is a great way to protect and enhance technology products. A research chemist discovered Parylene in the late 1940s at the University of Manchester in England.
A Union Carbide Corporation scientist named William Gorham found a way to apply the parylene film, which resulted in getting the material commercialized by Union Carbide in 1965.
Parylene coating has been used to coat products used in many fields such as automotive industries, medical settings, electronic devices, aerospace, and the military. Parylene can coat any shape, edge, and services with the right thickness to protect it from damage.
What is parylene coating and what are the benefits of using it?
A film of parylene is thin and has no pinholes. It is able to resist unwanted impacts that come from acids, solvents, and reagents. It insulates electricity, provides moisture, protects mechanical objects, eliminates dust, improves lubricity, and isolates chemicals.
Here are the top reasons to use parylene coating instead of the conventional types:
1. Waterproofs electronics
Parylene coating is a great way to provide a barrier layer to protect electronics from moisture, solvents, salt spray, corrosion, and other contaminants. It is more effective than other types of protective coating.
2. Lubricity
A layer of parylene can act as a lubricant, as well as a protective layer. It has a lower coefficient of friction when compared to Teflon. Using parylene as a lubricant will decrease the shedding of particles and improve overall cleanliness.
3. Visible clarity
Using parylene to coat devices will allow transparency. It leaves the surface visible to the eye and completely clear.
4. Friendlier to the environment
Parylene coating is much more friendly to the environment than other types of coating. Most companies offer parylene that is free of lead and halogen, as well as low VOC.
5. Biostable and biocompatible
Parylene is FDA approved and meets the requirement of USP Class VI and ISO 10993 biocompatibility that allows it to be used on implantable devices for humans. It is the most common choice to use when coating devices for the medical industry.
6. Ultra-thin and conformal film
The most obvious reason that makes parylene coating the best choice is its thickness. It starts at 0.5 microns and it is often compared to how thin a single dollar bill is. It provides a pinhole-free and uniformed barrier that will fight against organic solvents, acids, oxygen, gases, inorganic reagents, moisture, and more.
The ultra-thin, pinhole-free, continuous layer gives parylene dielectric strength that cannot be found in conventional coatings. It can penetrate the smallest spaces that can be as narrow as 0.01 mm.
Other benefits of using parylene coating is thermal stability that can be up to 450 degrees and UV exposure that is more than 2000 hours. It also prevents electronic devices from getting rusty.
How is parylene applied?
Parylene is applied at certain temperatures with specialized equipment. The raw material is heated under vacuum before it is deposited on all surfaces as a monomer gas that turns into film.
