Background and Problem
The client manufactured aluminium non-stick cookware — frying pans, tawa, and kadai — sold through retail and e-commerce channels. Over a 9-month period, warranty claim volumes increased significantly: non-stick coating peeling at the rim and upper sidewall, concentrated in the first 3–6 months of consumer use.
The coating supplier confirmed their material was within specification. Application equipment was within parameters. REFA’s audit identified the root cause in the pre-treatment cleaning stage: the client was using a high-pH alkaline degreaser (pH 13+) formulated for steel, at 3.5% concentration and 70°C on aluminium cookware which was only removing the oil contamination from the surface. Further, it was not giving the desired RA value for coating.
At this pH, concentration, and temperature combination, the degreaser was just removing drawing lubricant. Unable to achieve the desired RA value, the surface is not ready for adhesion where the fluoropolymer non-stick coating failed to bond correctly — producing exactly the failure pattern the client was seeing in the field.
78% of warranty returns showed peeling concentrated at the rim and upper sidewall — the same areas that experienced no adhesion of coating due to lack of an etching process. This spatial correlation was the critical diagnostic evidence pointing to the cleaning stage.
REFA Solution
- Replaced high-pH steel degreaser with REFA Aluminium-Safe Alkaline Degreaser – effective on drawing lubricant removal and excellent surface etching.
- DM water final rinse replacing tap water — eliminates mineral deposits before coating
- Standardised oven drying time before coating application
Results
Warranty claim rate reduced by 85% over 6 months. Non-stick adhesion cross-cut test improved from Grade 2 to Grade 0 (ISO 2409 — highest quality rating).
- Annual warranty cost saving: approximately Rs. 18 lakhs
- E-commerce return rate on non-stick range reduced from 4.2% to 0.8%
- Online review rating improved from 3.6 to 4.4 stars — driven by elimination of coating complaints
- REFA Aluminium-Safe Degreaser standardised across all four production lines
Looking for aluminium-safe degreasers and surface treatment chemicals for cookware manufacturers?
Contact REFA Chemical Industry – Greater Noida | Our founder brings 25+ years of industrial chemical expertise to every solution we supply. Call or WhatsApp for free samples and technical consultations.