Date: Aug 15, 2013 Author: press release Source: Company Data (
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This summer GVD was one of seven companies awarded upwards of $300,000 via a Phase II EPA grant, which you can learn more about in the EPA Press Release. We at GVD are very conscious of the environmental impact attributed to conventional mold release technologies. Most commercial mold release agents make use of organic solvents that vaporize during drying, creating a signifcant air quality impact. Even water-based formulations often require the use of fluorinated surfactant additives to stay suspended in the liquid.
Some surfactants such as PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) are extremely pervasive in the environment, are biopersistent and carcinogenic, and can be found in living organisms around the world, even polar bears (1). Drying and curing processes of wet applied release agents are also energy intensive, requiring consumption of fossil fuels and result in emission of greenhouse gases.
Due to the environmental impact of these materials, manufacturers around the world seek new, green methods and technologies to match the performance of conventional release agents. That is precisely what GVD offers. Using a solvent-free process, GVD creates a pure PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) fluoropolymer coating that is:
Ultra thin (1/10th the thickness of a human hair)
Extremely uniform (what we call a 'conformal' coating)
Low coefficient of friction (between 0.03 and 0.05)
Effective, non-stick surface on any material (process is 'substrate-independent')
Environmentally benign (no harmful VOC's and a low-energy process)
There are a wide variety of markets and industries that can benefit from GVD's mold release coating, including seals and gaskets, foam, tires, automotive parts, composite part molding, and medical products. At the end of this work, our team of chemical engineers and chemists at GVD will deliver a widely applicable, commercial solution to the issue of toxic, polluting, and low-performance mold release agents.
