Not all coatings are created equal when it comes to surface-treated stainless-steel tubing. Many coatings can be subjected to an uneven application, which is true for tubing in particular because of the wide range of available forms.
Lengthy processes such as burn-in or seasoning may be required when coatings are being applied to stainless steel. Moreover, best performing protective coatings fundamentally come down to the quality of the coating process. HandyTube advises using SilcoTek® coating if an application calls for the extra protection of surface treatment. SilcoTek® coatings feature a patented chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process to boost the performance of custom seamless stainless steel tubing.
Chemical Vapor Deposition Improves Performance
HandyTube surface-treated tubing makes the most of SilcoTek’s patented chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. This method offers steel products a thin, yet resilient protective layer that outperforms the benefits of line-of-sight processes such as spraying, which can lead to inconsistent deposition and uneven areas of coating. The CVD method ensures SilcoTek coatings are especially suitable for custom stainless-steel tubing because:
- The even coating of parts is achieved, even when the pathways are extremely narrow or have complex designs. Tubing products may be coiled, straight, and with small or large diameters that can otherwise impede other coating processes.
- Reliant on gas and heat in an inert, starved environment. For coiled tubing, this happens internally to yield a homogenous, delicate coating on the inside diameter of the tubing while the outside diameter is solely heat oxidized. Meaning, the HandyTube product will achieve near-flawless performance from the outset.
Consequently, any SilcoTek-coated tubing will have a robust barrier against yield-robbing metal ions in the stainless-steel substrate. Moreover, the supreme purity of the silicon surface won’t tolerate corrosive gases leaching metals from the surface, which enhances yields. HandyTube products can be obtained with a choice of two SilcoTek coatings:
- SilcoNert®. This inert, non-reactive silicon coating enhances and refines flow paths to offer extraordinary process control as well as agreeable sampling and analytical results.
- Dursan®, a proprietary, patented NSF-certified coating that improves longevity, as well as fouling and corrosion resistance across a variety of applications from harsh industrial uses to precision instruments.
Trust the Process
Although a multitude of surface treatments exist for tubing applications, HandyTube appreciates that the coating process is vital to guarantee its stainless steel products accomplish the highest level of performance possible. For jobs that have stringent requirements for protection or non-sticking, pairing HandyTube stainless steel tubing with SilcoTek coating is recommended.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by HandyTube.
For more information on this source, please visit HandyTube.