Nonstick Cookware Hard Base Coating for Abrasion Without Brittleness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooking utensils with nonstick coatings based on fluorinated resins, such as PTFE, face challenges in scratch and abrasion resistance, which are difficult to enhance without compromising other properties like hydrolysis resistance and manufacturing efficiency, especially when applying hard bases like glaze or continuous ceramic/metal layers.
Innovation Solution
A cooking utensil with a partially discontinuous hard base made of ceramic, metal, or polymer material applied via thermal spraying, specifically designed to cover fragile areas with a superficial dispersion of drops, providing enhanced scratch and abrasion resistance while allowing for deformation and minimizing implementation time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a continuous hard base of glaze is applied to reinforce the nonstick coating, then the resistance to abrasion and impacts is improved, but the brittleness increases and the resistance to hydrolysis deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hard base is applied discontinuously only at specific fragile locations (bottom center, connection zones between bottom and side walls) rather than continuously across the entire inner surface. This segmentation provides reinforcement where needed while leaving other areas open to maintain hydrolysis resistance and allow deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The hard base is selectively applied only to fragile areas of the utensil (bottom center and connection zones) rather than uniformly across the entire surface. This local application provides targeted reinforcement while preserving the overall flexibility and hydrolysis resistance of the nonstick coating in non-fragile areas.
2Strength
If a hard base with glaze is applied to improve abrasion resistance, then the resistance to impacts is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and energy cost increase due to additional high-temperature baking steps
Solution Approach 1:
The application of the hard base is merged with the existing nonstick coating formation process. Both the hard base and the PTFE-based nonstick coating are applied and baked in a single continuous operation at the same temperature (below 450°C), eliminating the need for separate high-temperature baking steps required by traditional glaze applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The baking temperature parameter is changed from the traditional high temperature (560°C or higher) required for glaze hard bases to a lower temperature (below 450°C) that is compatible with PTFE-based nonstick coatings. This parameter change enables the use of ceramic and metal materials that can be processed at lower temperatures, reducing energy consumption.
3Strength
If a hard base with glaze is applied to reinforce the utensil, then the resistance to abrasion is improved, but the adaptability to deformation and multilayer structures is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hard base is applied discontinuously only at specific fragile locations rather than as a continuous layer. This segmentation allows the nonstick coating to deform flexibly in areas without hard base while maintaining reinforcement at critical points, enabling adaptation to various utensil shapes and multilayer structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature parameter is changed to below 450°C, which is lower than the melting point of aluminum and compatible with multilayer utensil structures. This enables the hard base to be applied to multilayer products without causing detachment or damage to the aluminum layers, unlike traditional high-temperature glaze applications.
4Strength
If a continuous hard base is applied to cover the entire inner surface, then the abrasion resistance is maximized, but the implementation time and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hard base application is segmented to cover only fragile areas (bottom center and connection zones) rather than the entire inner surface. This reduces the surface area requiring hard base application, thereby reducing implementation time and manufacturing complexity while maintaining adequate reinforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying the hard base excessively across the entire surface, the solution uses partial action by applying it only to the extent necessary for reinforcement at fragile locations. This optimized approach reduces material usage, application time, and processing complexity.
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 solution significantly improves the nonstick coating's resistance to scratches and abrasion while maintaining bonding and hydrolysis resistance, allowing for deformation and reducing energy costs, making it suitable for various utensil forms and materials, including multilayer products.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal spraying, on said inner surface of a ceramic and/or metal and/or polymer material having a powdery form
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooking utensil comprising a hollow bowl with a base and a side wall rising from the base, and including at least one fragile area. The bowl has a concave inner surface for receiving food, as well as a convex outer surface. The utensil is coated successively, from the bowl, with a hard base and a nonstick coating, which covers the hard base and includes at least one layer containing at least one fluorocarbon resin. The hard base has a layer that is at least broken at the fragile area. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a utensil.