Whitford Announces a Breakthrough in Nonstick Technology, Sets New High in Nonstick Performance

Elverson, PA, May 06, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The holy grail in the world of nonstick coatings — outstanding nonstick (release) that lasts — has finally been achieved with new Eterna Whitford.

The past few years have led to remarkable advances in the durability of nonstick coatings. The use of sophisticated reinforcing elements resulted in marked differences in resistance to wear — by a factor of 50 (and more) in some tests. The coatings appear to last longer, since there is still coating visible after use. But the nonstick part of the coating (almost entirely the top layer) does not last longer. All or most of the nonstick ingredient (usually PTFE) is in the topcoat, which wears off first, and is the least wearresistant of all three coats.

So while a nonstick pan after some use may appear to be "nonstick" because there is still coating on the pan, the nonstick quality is always diminished, sometimes significantly (as many cooks can attest). Since nonstick is the entire reason for using such a coating, it follows that its ability to continue releasing over an extended period of time is key. And that has been the single greatest weakness of nonstick coatings, despite the greater durability of the overall coating that has been achieved with improved reinforcing technology.

Whitford R&D set out to engineer what seemed unattainable: nonstick coatings that would not only last longer but also maintain their nonstick for much more time. The result is a totally new coating system called "Eterna".

TM from The Dry-Egg test

The most widely used test for release is cooking a series of eggs, one by one, in a nonstick pan with no butter, grease or oil of any sort: just "dry" as the fry pan comes out of the box. It’s the kind of test anyone can run, it involves no specialized equipment and, when done under controlled conditions, provides reliable, repeatable results.

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