American Durafilm Blog

The Philae Lander Wants its Time in the Sun

As you might imagine, we are as fascinated with Rosetta’s success as are any of the scientists that have worked on or observed this mission for the last 10-plus years. It’s as riveting a thriller as any sci-fi movie—only this isn’t made of the stuff of someone’s imagination (well, it was at some point!). It is now a reality and made, in part, of material we handle every day at American Durafilm: Kapton® film.

At Work on the Rosetta Mission: Innovation and Exploration at its Core

You know that expression, “We can send a man to the moon; why can’t we …?” Then fill in the blank with any perceived world problem that perplexes us because it remains unanswered. Sorry, you won’t find the answers to those conundrums here, but we can tell you about one amazing product that integrally assists in getting man to the moon: Kapton® film. 

Exploring Kapton’s Unparalleled Versatility and Reliability

It’s widely known how versatile Kapton® film is across a multitude of industries: medical, military, aerospace, and you may have read our recent blog about Kapton®’s application in the medical field for its use in critical storage and preservation in materials like cryogenic storage bags. Another industry that relies on the versatility and high-performance of Kapton® is the electrical industry.

A Superior Combination for Tissue and Cell Preservation

Kapton® polyimide films have been hard at work for over 45 years, and have been used in cryogenics for 30 years. These cryogenic bags are the superior choice for lab work that needs the paramount protection and preservation. The biosciences depend on Kapton film bags for easy and safe cryopreservation.

High-performance coatings such as Teflon® are used widely—across industries, and for a multitude of processes and products. The versatility of these functional coatings allows for application to a wide variety of substrate materials, part sizes, and configurations, always adding value far beyond the inherent nonstick qualities that Teflon is most noted for. This allows for manufacturers to apply the unique attributes of high-performance coatings to a diversity of substrates such as ceramics, formed carbon, glass, steel alloys, nickel alloys, titanium, aluminum, copper, brass, and various other metals.

Based on our previous blog post, “It’s Easy Being Green with Tefzel® ETFE: 8 Green Properties,” it is evident that Tefzel ETFE film is the best choice for a greenhouse covering. No other material comes as close to the Tefzel ETFE film in creating a sound greenhouse effect. Before we delve into the advantages of using Tefzel ETFE film in building a greenhouse, it is important to know about the greenhouse effect. We’re not talking about on a global scale, but in an actual greenhouse.  

Tefzel® ETFE Film is a great choice for greenhouse coverings. It has an outdoor weathering rating of over 20 years, which is testament to its durability and toughness.

8 Tefzel Properties that Keep You in the Green

• Chemical resistance keeps acid rain off plants and won’t degrade the film
• Hydrophobic abilities repel water, snow, sleet, and hail, protecting plants
  from harsh elements
• Hydrophilic capabilities collect water and irrigate plants
• Tensile strength allows for tight fits over structures that reduce the effects
  of high winds
• Impact strength promotes self-healing and recovery from dents
• Self-extinguishing film creates an incredibly flame-retardant building
• Sustainable structures last eight-times longer than traditional polyethylene coverings
• Trouble-free operation requires minimal maintenance

Far from Common

While DuPont™ Kapton® polyimide film is found in many common products the everyday consumer uses or benefits from every day, it’s far from common. With a 45-year legacy, it has set the industry standard providing reliable, durable performance under harsh conditions.