PVDF or ‘Polyvinylidene Difluoride’ is a type of coating that is applied to external elements of a building, such as architectural façades, for visual and practical reasons.
In a nutshell:
- PVDF is a coating applied to building exteriors
- PVDF is resistant to airborne pollutants and UV rays
- It has great colour retention and only requires a thin layer
- The coating is typically applied pre-fabrication, affecting it's performance on perforated panels and expanded mesh
- Powder coating has more colour options than PVDF
- Anodising is harder than PVDF and powder coating and it is renewable
What are the benefits and drawbacks of PVDF?
Due to the chemical makeup of the coating, PVDF is resistant to chalking and harmful industrial and atmospheric pollutants. It is also UV resistant which prevents the colour of the coating from fading due to sun damage.
Additionally, PVDF provides a great coating option for aesthetic reasons due to its outstanding colour retention. The high-quality resins ensure strong adhesion to the substrate and topcoat which helps maintain the integrity of the colour. Finally, PVDF coating only requires a thin layer in order to achieve high brightness and stable colour.
Although, because PVDF is typically applied to products pre-fabrication, if you are looking to use it on perforated panels the edges of the perforation will not be coated, making it exposed to the elements. This is also the case when using PVDF on expanded mesh, when applied pre-fabrication the coating may be susceptible to splitting or cracking.
PVDF vs powder-coating and anodising
Similar to PVDF, powder coating has the advantages of providing environmental protection, energy saving and good coating performance, but it is more cost effective in comparison.
Furthermore, the colour palette for PVDF coatings is less extensive than that of powder coating. There are just 64 different PVDF colour options whereas powder coating has over 2,000.
Anodising is a better coating option than PVDF for aluminium in areas where the coating is subject to abrasive cleaners because it’s formed through a chemical reaction, making it more robust than PVDF.
Lastly, once an organic coating such as PVDF and powder coating has become damaged, the only options are to either replace the metal or re-coat it. Whereas with anodising, cleaning often provides a renewed appearance.
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