The Science of KISS Polymers
The physical and chemical properties of a surface determine how it interacts with the environment. The more stable it is, the less it interacts with the environment. The non-aesthetic purpose of a coating is to stop a surface from interacting with what comes in contact with it.
The very characteristics that make inert materials desirable also makes them difficult to handle and apply. How can a non-reactive material be bonded to a surface?
Slightly reactive materials, such as PTFE can be bonded using surface etching, heating, primers, and pressure - all of which are costly - some with limited success. These materials have poor wear resistance and are prone to migrate, causing unwanted contamination of surrounding materials. Silicones, especially poly(di-methyl siloxane), are the most inert and chemically stable materials known to man. They are so non-reactive that they can not be bonded to a surface.
A new catalytic process can make these inert polymers partially reactive. The resulting KISS-COTE ®material has a reactive side of the polymer which forms a very secure bond with the substrate while its inert outer surface is both passive and resistant to chemical and environmental attack.