Zn-PTFE composite coating

At present, composite coatings are being more and more frequently used for their functional or decorative properties. As a result of increasing demands on the properties of functional coatings, it is inevitable to develop new technologies that would accommodate these demands. The study summarizes results achieved during the development of a composite coating based on galvanically deposited zinc with incorporated PTFE particles (polytetrafluorethylen). The combination of a zinc matrix and PTFE particles leads to formation of a coating with unique properties that would be separately unachievable by individual elements. The properties of composite coating were verified by a range of analytical methods (e.g. gravimetry, SEM, ESCA, FTIR, microscopy, tribologic properties testing, etc.) so as to find out whether the resulting coat has achieved the estimated composition, and especially the required properties. The analysis results indicated that the best method for determination of composition and homogeneity of particles distribution was FTIR, which in contrast to other applied procedures supported qualitative determination of the presence of PTFE particles. The tribologic properties testing also proved the improvement of the friction factor for layers containing PTFE particles compared to the coating consisting of zinc only.