PTFE Coating Residue

Teflon residue contamination, it arises from polymer degradation during high-heat processes and forms irregular, patchy films on metal surfaces. This contamination, it adheres strongly due to low surface energy of Teflon, thus creating unique droplet-like patterns that spread unevenly. In laser cleaning applications, removal challenges emerge because residue exhibits high thermal stability and resists ablation. Laser pulses apply, yet organic bonds in Teflon break incompletely, so fragments scatter and redeposit nearby. Material-specific behaviors show that on stainless steel, residue softens slowly under infrared lasers and leaves behind hazy remnants. After treatment, surface still exhibits stickiness in contaminated zones, thus requiring multiple passes for partial clearance. Efficiency of cleaning, it drops with thicker films, and so hybrid methods often follow to enhance removal.

Yi-Chun Lin, Ph.D., Taiwan