Acrylic treatment vs. PVDF treatment: What's the difference?

Introduction

Acrylic treatment and PVDF treatment are the two mainstream surface treatment technologies for PVC tarpaulin. As a professional tarpaulin manufacturer, we frequently receive inquiries regarding PVC tarpaulin. A frequent and critical question is, "Which is better, acrylic or PVDF?" These two treatments directly determine the durability and end-use performance of the tarpaulin.

Acrylic vs. PVDF

1. Acrylic Treatment

Acrylic is a common, low-cost polymer resin. It forms a transparent protective film on the PVC surface through a coating process.

Key Features:

Fair Weather Resistance: Provides basic UV protection and rain resistance, effectively extending the life of the PVC base fabric.

Poor Self-Cleaning: The surface is relatively smooth, making it more susceptible to dust and stains, requiring more frequent cleaning and maintenance.

Cost Advantage: Affordable pricing makes it a cost-effective choice for many common applications. Metaphorically, it's like an ordinary raincoat, providing protection from wind and rain. However, with long-term use in harsh environments, it will age and become dirty, and its protective effectiveness will gradually diminish.

2. PVDF Treatment

PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is a high-performance fluorinated polymer known as the "king of coatings." It is typically mixed with acrylic resin to form an extremely strong and durable protective layer.

Key Features:

Excellent Weather Resistance: Its strong resistance to UV rays effectively prevents fading and chalking, ensuring the tarpaulin's vibrant color for a long time. Its high chemical stability protects it from corrosion from acid rain, salt spray, and other corrosion factors.

Excellent Self-Cleaning: The PVDF coating's surface is extremely smooth, creating a "lotus effect" that resists dust and dirt. Rainwater washes away most dirt, significantly reducing the cost and frequency of cleaning and maintenance.

Extremely Long Service Life: Due to its powerful protective properties, PVDF-treated PVC tarpaulins typically have a service life twice as long or even longer than those treated with acrylic resin.

Higher Cost: This superior performance also comes at the expense of higher raw material and production costs. Figurative metaphor: It is like a top-level professional jacket, which is not only waterproof and windproof, but also breathable and wear-resistant. It can cope with extremely bad weather, dries as soon as it is shaken, and is not easy to get dirty.

Comparison of main features

Conclusion

Acrylic and PVDF treatments offer solutions tailored to different needs and budgets. There's no absolute superiority or inferiority; it's all about suitability.

For cost-effectiveness and short-term needs, choose acrylic.

For long-term durability, resistance to harsh environments, and investment in fixed assets, PVDF is undoubtedly the superior choice.