Culinary item including a rare-earth oxide layer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current culinary cooking utensil coatings lack a combination of non-stick, high-temperature hardness, and anti-adhesion properties, with fluorocarbon resin coatings optimizing non-stick but not mechanical performance, sol-gel coatings improving anti-adhesion but not to the level of fluorocarbon, and enamel coatings having low anti-adhesion regardless of solutions.

Innovation Solution

A coating comprising at least one layer of rare earth oxide with fillers dispersed in the matrix, providing mechanical hardness and abrasion resistance comparable to enamels and ceramics, along with intrinsic hydrophobic properties for anti-adhesiveness similar to fluorocarbon coatings, achieved through the use of lanthanide oxides like cerium oxide and specific fillers such as fluorocarbon resins.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If fluorocarbon resin coatings are used, then non-stick properties are improved, but mechanical performance (hardness and abrasion resistance) deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenon-stick propertiesVSAvoidmechanical performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining fluorocarbon resin with inorganic fillers (such as alumina, silica, or titania) to create a coating that exhibits both the non-stick properties of the resin and the mechanical strength of the inorganic particles. This composite structure allows the coating to maintain low friction and food release characteristics while achieving enhanced hardness and abrasion resistance that neither component could provide alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If enamel coatings are used, then mechanical hardness is improved, but anti-adhesion properties deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical hardnessVSAvoidanti-adhesion properties
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a multi-layered coating structure where the enamel provides the bulk mechanical strength and hardness, while the outer surface layer is modified with low-friction additives or surface treatments that provide anti-adhesion properties. This gradient structure allows different regions of the coating to perform different functions: the inner enamel layer delivers durability and heat resistance, while the outer modified layer ensures food release and ease of cleaning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The coating achieves superior mechanical performance, abrasion resistance, and anti-adhesive properties suitable for culinary applications, with the hydrophobic nature of cerium oxide enhancing barrier effects against corrosion, oxidation, and liquid/gas impermeability, while maintaining non-stick properties.

Implementation Method 1

the rare earth oxides having the particularity of not only having a mechanical hardness and an abrasion resistance comparable to those enamels and ceramics, but also excellent intrinsic hydrophobic properties allowing the coating obtained to have an anti-adhesiveness comparable to that of fluorocarbon coatings

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrophobic effect: Hydrophobe

Implementation Method 2

The incorporation of cerium oxide in the rare earth oxide matrix gives the rare earth oxide layer the barrier effect (anticorrosion, antioxidation, impermeability to liquids and gases)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBarrier effect:

Implementation Method 3

This type of addition has the effect of improving, or even eliminating, the problems linked to the fracturing of the layer of lanthanide oxide by the effect of dissipation of mechanical energy

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnergy dissipation: Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3325694B1Culinary item including a rare-earth oxide layer
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 SEB SA

AI summary

The present invention relates generally to a culinary item, one surface of which is provided with a coating including at least one rare-earth oxide layer. Such a coating has the specific feature of not only having mechanical hardness and abrasion resistance comparable to those of enamels and ceramics, but also excellent intrinsic hydrophobic properties that enable the coating obtained to have a non-stick property that is comparable to that of fluorocarbon coatings and suitable for culinary applications.