PTFE/Teflon Coatings For Stainless Steel Medical Band

[waynethepain]

Hi All,

I want to add a PTFE coating to a formed medical band. My question is can I treat the strips before or after forming? I would want to do them before as it would be easier, but I am concerned the coating may crack.

Notes:
The band does come into contact with the body.
The single units are quite small 87mm by 6mm.
The form is a slight concave curve in the centre approx 10mm by 6mm.

Thank you in advance.
Wayne.

 

[btrueblood]

Pure PTFE, if as thin or thinner than the band, won't crack, it will just yield. The stainless band would crack first.

 

[tbuelna]

Pure PTFE has very little mechanical strength and is easily displaced. If it were applied to a steel strip surface prior to a forming operation, the PTFE coating would likely be damaged and/or contaminated beyond what would be acceptable for your medical device application. Form the metal part first, chemically clean/etch the metal part surfaces, then apply the PTFE surface coating.