Coated fabrics refer to woven or nonwoven cloth with semiliquid coating or resin applied to the surface or saturated into the bulk of the substrate to provide functional properties to the substrate. Basic coating methods include knife, roll, extrusion or immersion (dip).
Common compounds and their characteristics
Vinyl
- Naturally rigid, requires plasticizers to be flexible
- Good chemical and solvent resistance
- Good weather resistance, but performs poorly in low temperatures
- Easily seamed
- Can be flame retardant
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon)
- Excellent chemical, heat and weather resistance
Polyurethane
- Good solvent resistance
- Excellent abrasion resistance and tear strength
- Flexible
- Good resistance to high temperatures
- Can be flame retardant
Nitrile rubber
- Good oil and acid resistance
- Performs well in high and low temperatures
- Good abrasion resistance and tear strength
Chloroprene rubber (neoprene)
- Good resistance to acid
- Good abrasion resistance and tear strength
- Performs well in high and low temperatures
- Low gas permeability
Silicone rubber
- Excellent high and low temperature stability
- Heat resistance
- Low gas permeability
Butyl rubber
- Excellent waterproof, heat- and weather-aging resistance
- Excellent acid resistance
- Good abrasion resistance
- Low gas permeability