SurfTec was founded to develop a novel low-friction, durable coating developed at the University of Arkansas. This technology enables the use of PTFE coatings that are exceptionally thin in applications that are traditionally off-limits for fluoropolymer coatings due to wear, operating conditions, or decomposition of conventional resin binders. SurfTec is organized around addressing the challenge of poor lubrication by developing novel solid lubricant surface coatings to reduce friction, wear, fouling and corrosion in mechanical and electrical systems with an ultimate goal of extending component life and reducing maintenance cost and energy consumption. The important differencebetween SurfTecâs coating and other solid lubricant coatings used in bearings, is the absence of a resin binder intermixed with the lubricant coating. Although the use of resin binders reduces wear, it also increases the COF of solid lubricant coatings. SurfTecâs coating has been engineered to be self-lubricating thanks to the formation and removal of a transfer film at the interface between the coating and counterface.The SurfTec coating exhibits a COF of 0.05, identical to that of pure PTFE and 40% lower than commercially available fluorocarbon coatings. This performance is achieved while also providing four crucial benefits that give SurfTecâs coating an advantage over current solutions in this market. First, the deposition process used is a simple/low-cost dip coating method that is compatible with high-throughput deposition techniques. Second, the coating acts as a chemically inert protective layer that prevents corrosion of the underlying metallic components. Third, the coating is hydrophobic, reducing sensitivity to moisture during both storage and operation. Fourth, the coating is nonconductive, which prevents fluting resulting from electrical current passing through the bea
