SCS Blog
Recent SCS Blogs
Conformal Coating: Spray, Dip, or Brush?
Liquid conformal coatings-such as acrylics, epoxies, silicones and urethane resins–are applied to electronic applications by means of wet methods, primarily brush, dipping (component immersion) or automated/manual spraying. Parylene conformal coating is applied as a gas through chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Material selection is largely dependent on the application or component being coated and its intended... Read More >>
Conformal Coating Applications: Liquid vs Parylene
Conformal coating of an object occurs when an appropriate coating material is applied on-top and around an underlying substrate, to protect it from such environmental and performance concerns, such as chemical incursion and excess moisture. Liquid organic polymer conformal coatings – acrylic, epoxy, silicone and urethane – prevent: Liquid coatings also reduce the incidence of... Read More >>
What Chemical Removes Parylene?
How To Remove Parylene Coating Conformal coatings provide reliable protection for substrate surfaces of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and related electrical components. However, these coatings sometimes require removal for repair or other purposes. Many coating materials can be removed by abrasive, mechanical, plasma and thermal techniques, but chemical methods are typically the most popular for... Read More >>
Different Ways to Deal with Solvents in Conformal Coatings
Option 1: Regularly Measure the Solvent Exposure to Operators Solvents can be safely utilized, however, solvent fumes can be harmful to the operator if not safely monitored. To avoid potential OSHA violations, exposure of the operator to solvent fumes must be regularly measured and recorded. Regularly measuring the exposure of solvent fumes is a low... Read More >>
Does Parylene make my Product Waterproof?
Protecting printed circuit boards (PCBs) and similar electronics from the incursion of water is an essential responsibility of Parylene conformal coating. Suitable Parylene permeation barriers assure no form of liquid passes through to underlying components and that the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is minimal. WVTR measures the level of water vapor migration through the... Read More >>
Challenges to Parylene
Ultra-thin and pinhole-free, Parylene conformal coatings provide a number of high-value surface treatment properties such as excellent moisture, chemical and dielectric barrier properties, thermal and UV stability, and dry-film lubricity. At the same time, certain challenging variables can influence the Parylene coating process and should be accounted for in coating design and implementation. Given the... Read More >>
Causes of Parylene Delamination
Delamination Problems of Parylene Conformal Coatings Providing a uniform and pinhole-free substrate coating that is ultra-thin, lightweight and durable, Parylene coatings completely conform to targeted components and assemblies. Parylene chemical vapor deposition (CVD) generates a structurally continuous film. With the appropriate pre-treatment, Parylene penetrates deep within substrate surfaces rather than simply attaching to the exterior... Read More >>
What is the Uniformity of Parylene Conformal Coating?
Parylene is often applied to substrates or materials where there is no room for any voids in the protective coating. The applications are subjected to harmful chemicals, moisture packed environments or even the human body. These are often mission-critical devices which cannot allow any environmental factors to alter their performance. Whenever these devices need this... Read More >>
How Can You Validate Parylene Coverage?
Parylene is a transparent, thin (typically applied at 0.1 to 25 microns), well adhering, pinhole and defect-free conformal coating. The coatings are uniformly applied without voids on flat surfaces and component configurations with sharp edges, points, flat surfaces, crevices or exposed internal surfaces. Why is Parylene Difficult to Verify? Because Parylene is transparent and forms... Read More >>
Cleanliness: The Key to Conformal Coating Success
The quality of a conformal coating application is directly related to the cleanliness of the substrate being coated. Clean substrates coat well; contaminated ones do not. The only way to manage this problem is to inspect and clean electronic components before the coating process. Ionic and Non-ionic Contaminants Contaminants come in two broad categories: ionic... Read More >>
