Researchers in the United States have developed a method for modifying the surface of stainless steel used in the food industry. Scientists say the new surface significantly reduces contamination during prolonged heating and increases the efficiency of the cookware.
Mr Jeffrey Barish and Ms Julia Goddard of the University of Massachusetts, USA, stated that their method could reduce the formation of protein and mineral contaminants on the surface of dishes by 97 percent. Barish and Goddard used the interaction of nanoparticles of a fluorinated polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, on the surface of heat exchanger plates in the chemical nickel plating process. A similar technology can be used when making keys of any complexity .
The modified heat exchanger surfaces were tested during use in an 8 hour raw milk pasteurization process. The processing experiment was repeated 9 more times to check how reliably the coating worked. After 10 times of pasteurization, the researchers found that about 0.5 mg /cm2 of contamination accumulated on the treated surfaces, compared to 13 mg /cm2 on the untreated parts.
The developed coating has a lower surface energy than untreated steels and is smoother as well, which helps prevent dirt build-up. The coating process is easy to use on a large scale, the researchers said. In the near future this method will be used in the manufacture of containers used in large food industry enterprises, where technological processes are associated with prolonged heat treatment of food.
