The Secret to Skived Films
The key to staying ahead in high-tech applications is to constantly innovate and improve product efficiency. If you are seeking ways to create products that are thinner, lighter and more efficient, and haven’t heard of skived films yet, let’s uncover the secrets of these ultra-thin materials together!
In this blog, we will define what skived films are, explore typical applications, and discuss the unparalleled benefits these products provide with Jan Kupzig, Application Engineer Films, Saint-Gobain® Tape Solutions.
First, let's address the primary subject and delve into the key obstacles that skived films can help overcome. These films are extremely durable and have high protection properties to withstand extreme temperatures, chemicals, and radiation. This makes them ideal for applications in harsh environments or where other polymers fail.
Made from PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), they can be used in demanding applications where non-stick properties are needed. Some examples include the food or packaging industry, the aerospace industry or within industrial applications like printed circuit board applications. The electrical shielding and dielectric properties of skived films are also ideal for protecting sensitive components, wires, and cables.
The manufacturing of skived films begins with high-quality premium resins, which are pressed and sintered into billets up to two metres high. These billets rotate against a static knife to skive high-quality films ranging from an ultrathin thickness of 12.5µm to up to three millimetres.
The thickness and width can be tailored for each application and to meet specific customer requirements. Additionally, special surface activation processes can make our PTFE materials bondable, which is notoriously difficult to achieve. The combination of ultra-thin, flexible, yet extremely durable and customisable solutions makes our PTFE films ideal for demanding applications, says Application Engineer Jan Kupzig.
Compared to other polymers (such as PE, PP, PET or PA), PTFE is the material offering the broadest range of properties.
— Jan Kupzig, Application Engineer Films, Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions
According to Jan, this makes it ideal for applications which, for example, require temperatures above 150°C, have direct contact with aggressive substances such as hydrochloric acid or which require inertness of materials or the lowest surface friction with a coefficient of friction (COF) below 0.1. Our PTFE skived films outperform other polymer solutions and help overcome process limits and extend performance.
The use of skived PTFE films in pump diaphragms is a good example of demanding applications as they are used in harsh environments. To reliably pump aggressive substances like acids with high pressure and high temperatures up to 260°C, our skived films provide ultimate component protection for failure-free operation, longer lifetimes and reduced maintenance.
In other applications, such as hydrogen production that can play an important role in future energy storage and supply, our skived PTFE films perform as a frame gasket that protects and seals sensitive components under high temperatures and pressure. The high-end sealing properties of PTFE films have also demonstrated proven performance in similar, demanding applications such as those required by chloride substances.
Electric motor applications are another example where skived films can make a difference. E-motor technology is currently experiencing tremendous development as the drivers behind moving small and highly precise parts up to electrified vehicles and large industrial applications where they move multiple tonnes of weight. Skived PTFE films are used especially in high-performance and high-voltage electric motors to reliably protect against shorts. The Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) of more than 600 for PTFE allows the design of e-motors with higher voltage for increased power output and safety.
Thanks a lot for the insights from Jan Kupzig, as we have learnt that skived PTFE films combine outstanding durability, resistance, and high protection properties to withstand extreme temperatures, chemicals, and radiation with superior flexibility, conformability, and ease of use.
Their versatile and customisable properties make them ideal for high-end applications such as food processing, aerospace, automotive, and electronics, where other polymer materials are limited in providing high performance under demanding requirements.
If you have now discovered that skived films could be the missing piece of the puzzle to achieve the next level of performance for your products, get in touch with our experts for skived PTFE films and experience the tremendous value these thin materials provide.