High-Performance Protective and Adhesive Semi-Fluorinated Fluoropolymer Coatings
 

Abstract:
Fluoropolymers have long been one of the preferred choices for high-performance coating materials due to their exceptional properties, including mechanical integrity, chemical inertness, high thermal stability, and very low surface energy. However, their notable nonstick nature is a double-edged sword as it frequently causes poor film adhesion to many substrates, ultimately compromising their protection performance. This talk introduces different semi-fluorinated fluoropolymer coating systems exhibiting enhanced surface adhesion and corrosion protection performance. Various approaches to improving their adhesion to metal substrates, including the use of conducting polymer primers, green additives, ceramic inclusions, and the like, are also discussed. These strategies aim to maximize the benefits of fluoropolymer properties across a wide array of surface protection applications.
 
Biography:
Eugene Caldona, tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University (NDSU); Affiliate Faculty of the Materials and Nanotechnology; and the Biomedical Engineering graduate programs at NDSU, received his BS in chemical engineering from Saint Louis University (Philippines), MS and PhD in chemical engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and PhD in chemistry from Mississippi State University.

Prior to joining NDSU, he worked as a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is the distinguished recipient of the 2024 A. John Sedriks Seed Grant Award by the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), the global authority in materials protection and performance. To date, he has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles, including 15 first-author papers, a book chapter, and a US patent. His research interests include corrosion science, surface chemistry, adhesion science, additive manufacturing, fluoropolymers, elastomer-modified materials, and stimuli-responsive and super liquid-repellent coatings.