I have located a company that specializes in fluorine based chemicals and will be looking into obtaining some samples of PTFE based synthetic detergents for cleaning glass. Anyone want to beta test this animal?
Henry
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I am. What would be the benefits? Non stick glass? Would we need to be concerned with birds? Or is teflon only dangerous when heated?
I’m curious as to how these detergents would function when diluted in water. Doesn’t the fluorine molecule present in Teflon create situation where water will separate from it? I picture your solution either beading up on surface or the detergent failing to dissolve in solution.
Could be wrong though, my molecular chemistry is not strong 
I’m in, Henry let me know when you get it. You’ve got to love the Beta testing phase of new stuff.
You know me Henry, bring it on.:). I’m sticking around.
I love you guys! Excellant Qs, and Jack, I love your new little Avatar!
The teflon coatings on those fry pans is pretty thick. When heated it can release PTFE molecules as a gas. It was first discovered as a gas. When it is polymerized it becomes a solid. Since the temporary coating on glass left behind by a cleaner would be only one or several molecules thick, I am guessing there shouldn’t be a problem. You usually can’t fry an egg on glass either so it wouldn’t get as hot as a fry pan. But the absolute truth is I really don’t know.
As for solubility in water. It is made to go into water. Water is polar so as long as one end of the teflon chain is capped with an attractive molecule it will mix. The other end will wave free and be aimed away from the glass giving it water and soil repellant properties. That is providing the attractive end sticks to the glass. There are teflon based glass coatings that actually bond to the glass. In this case here we are just using a T chain that acts as a detergent/cleaner by breaking down the surface tension of water. Nonetheless it will still impart if only on a very temporary basis certain properties to the glass. Coupling this with a nano diamond colloid for cleaning smart phone screens would be interesting. I need to start a listing of chemists that I can call and chat with from time to time. Cuz I too am in need of much more education regarding this stuff. But I can tell you this. Over the last sixteen years since I left off tinkering and gave my 2500 chems over to the dump;…there has been so much new technology come about in the chemistry industry. Especially with what are called SAMs. Self Assembling Monolayers. These molecules actually self assemble on surfaces giving the surface different properties.
Please sign into my blog if you haven’t already. I will be writing about this stuff as time goes on. And will be writing about my own testing before I turn stuff out to you. YES. This IS fun! It reminds me of when I was a little kid stealing expensive wood out of the junior high school dumpster to build go carts. Which almost killed me one sunday morning. But thats another story.
sad how Teflon just disappeared. Use to use the bathroom spray and just was no more. I see a difference when using sealers/wax. Dirt and spotting wipes right off and can just rinse using WFP. My trouble glass is no trouble anymore. Tried a hydrophobic soap used to was cars. G wash I believe. The old rinse immediately is the problem. Beads may take the particles but the liquid that remains unbeaded leaves a nice film if dries. You have to be ready to rinse right away or sgueegee off before the dry begins. Even using pure water and good rinse there are still particles that like to stick and if they can attract a small drop… Brush should knock away but I found a soft flocked can easily break this hold where as a unger radial type brush will not. These different “additives” might be a way to make any brush more effective and give the water a better chance of holding onto the particles that would much rather stick to its new friend, the glass. I do like the idea of an additive and not a product which needs to be applied. We know when the product wears off it makes the quick clean anything but.
Oh, thanks for the pic ref. Got a pole, wagtail, now what… bewilderment phase.
