Flexible Finishes

Xylan ®
Xylan ®
AUDI
BMW
CITROËN
DAIMLERCHRYSLER
FORD
GENERAL MOTORS
HONDA
JAGUAR
KARMANN
LAND ROVER
MERCEDES-BENZ
NISSAN
PEUGEOT
PORSCHE
ROVER
SAAB
SEAT
SUZUKI
TELCO
TOYOTA
VOLKSWAGEN
flexible finishes:
known by
the companies they keep
A QS-9000-approved supplier

Xylan: coatings born out of the
problems of the automotive industry
Xylan is a product of Whitford Worldwide,
makers of the largest, most complete line of fluoropolymer
coatings in the world.
Some companies develop products in the
abstract — and then bend problems to fit the
products. Whitford takes the opposite point of
view. We believe that the way to a better product
is to start with a specific problem, then create
a product designed to solve it.
Xylan solved a glass-run abrasion
problem for the Honda Civic.
This approach
led to
automotive
manufacturers
looking
for an alternative
to traditionalmethods
of post-
treating elastomeric seals and mouldings.
These traditional treatments involve the use of
polyamide and polyester flocking agents, silicone
solutions, fine particle chalks and specialist
greases to reduce friction, suppress noise,
avoid sticking and protect against weathering.
Whitford’s research and development teams
created a range of products to provide superior
alternatives to these methods, often working
hand in hand with sealing-system manufacturers
and automotive companies. The end result
is Xylan, a comprehensive range of coating
solutions for automotive sealing systems which
owe their unique effectiveness to a number of
revolutionary technological advances pioneered
by Whitford.
Another benefit of the new Xylan coatings:
rapid, yet effective processing techniques
which have been developed in close cooperation
with sealing-system manufacturers.
Who’s using Xylan?
Companies that are successfully using
Xylan-coated sealing systems include:
• Audi • BMW
• Citroën • DaimlerChrysler
• Ford • General Motors
• Honda • Jaguar
• Karmann • Land Rover
• Mercedes-Benz • Nissan
• Peugeot • Porsche
• Rover • SAAB
• SEAT • Suzuki
• Telco • Toyota
• Volkswagen
QS-9000:
The Automotive Seal of Quality
Whitford is one of a select group of companies
who have achieved the coveted status of
being a QS-9000 rated supplier
to the automotive industry.
This commitment to the
most exacting standards
is maintained by quality
assurance teams at each of
Whitford’s worldwide facilities.
Their sole task is to ensure that, as a supplier
already rated to BS EN ISO 9001:1994, Certificate
No. FM24177 and EAQF94 standards,
continual improvement in quality is achieved.
The popular Land
Rover “Discovery”
uses Xylan on the
rear-door seal to
provide excellent
freeze-release as
well as outstanding
resistance to
abrasion.

Xylan coatings and the many benefits
they provide for sealing systems
Xylan coatings offer a complete range of • Outstanding release properties.
outstanding benefits to solve the problems of • Good aesthetic properties, including
automotive sealing systems:
clear coatings.
• Low friction.
• Colour-coordinated coatings (many
• Excellent resistance to abrasion.
colours to match the interior trim).
• Elimination of noise from seal micromove- • Improved weathering and chemical resistment
against the car body and glass.
ance of sealing system compounds.
• Soft touch (a velvet aspect
for the cosmetic limbs of
internal seals to match
the interior trim velour).
All Xylan coatings also provide
significant benefits in processing:
• Simple, easy-to-control,
monitored applications.
• Less likelihood of contamination
than with alternative
technologies.
Volkswagen specified Xylan for application to the “A” pillar seal to reduce • Extremely cost-effective.
noise generated through wind resistance in the Golf.
Xylan works, whatever the application
Xylan coating materials have proved highly
successful in many different automotive applications.
In glass-run channels, for instance,
Xylan’s remarkable abrasion resistance
ensures long-lasting, smooth, silent window
operation combined with consistently low levels
of friction. When used on boot
(trunk) seals, this versatile material
provides excellent release even in
the most adverse conditions.
In addition to excellent release,
Xylan provides outstanding appearance,
door-slam resistance and
protection against weathering to
main door seals, body seals and
drip rails. Xylan greatly enhances
the weather resistance and appearance
of door pillars and exterior
window seals. Xylan coatings also
combat the effect of “stick-slip”, thus reducing
squeak and noise associated with the micromovement
of seals against body panels and
glass.
Variety of Substrates
Xylan coatings are not limited to applica-
The Rover 25 uses Xylan on its glass-run channels to reduce friction and
resist abrasion, making operation of windows quiet and effortless.

tions with EPDM. They
have also been successfully
applied to NBR, PVC,
ASA, acrylics, ABS and
polyester, sometimes in
combination with Whitfordprovided
or approved
primer systems.
In anticipation of new
market trends, Whitford
has carried out extensive
development in the formulation
of Xylan coating
variations for specific use
on TPE (TPV/TPO) substrates.
Pretreatment
In many cases, a clean,
contamination-free surface
is all that is required to
achieve a good bond of Xylan to the sealingsystem
surface.
In other situations, depending on the type of
substrate and the required end application,
pretreatment is necessary. Such pretreatment
can take the form of physical methods such as
corona discharge or flaming techniques, both
of which are easy to control and environmentally
friendly. Recently developed oxygen-plasma
techniques represent excellent physical pretreatment
methods for preparing rubber and
plastic surfaces
for the application
of Xylan.
In many off-line
situations in
which this is
unsuitable, a
range of primers
available from
Whitford can be
used.
Ease of
Application
Xylan coatings
have been de-
Xylan is applied on the glass-run channels of the Peugeot 406 Series to reduce friction
and to provide resistance to abrasion and protection for the seal against environmental
attack, assuring a long, trouble-free service life.
signed to ensure maximum convenience and
ease of application for the extruder or fabricator.
In virtually all cases, the coatings can be
applied using one of two methods:
1.As part of an integral on-line extrusion
process, applied directly after extrusion
and processed with the substrate, or, if
preferred, at a later stage, possibly after
partial cure or “blowing” of the profile
compound in question.
The Mercedes-Benz M-Class uses Xylan on seals to provide outstanding
abrasion resistance for the life of the vehicle.
2. As a post-fabricating/extrusion operation,
the coatings can
be applied to a
finished part and
cured separately.
Usually, Xylan
is applied by
spray techniques,
but
grades are available
that have
been specially
formulated for
easy application
by wiping or
brushing.

VW chooses chooses Xylan Xylan
Toyota chooses Xylan
The Whitford Test Matrix:
Meeting Performance Specifications
Test Specification Rating Requirement
Adhesion ASTM D-3359 or No adhesion loss 5 tape pulls
“Popsicle stick” No adhesion loss 180˚ bend
Xenon arc SAE J1960 Minimum 4 2000 hours
(Ford) AATCC and visual 2500kJ
Xenon arc SAE J1960 Minimum 4 1250kJ
(GM) AATCC and visual
Xenon arc SAE J1960 Minimum 4 2500kJ
(Whitford) AATCC and visual
Ice release SP-TP 102 No ice sticking Record force
Toluene: SP-TP 88 # rubs to damage 100 double rubs
double rubs film (after 24 hours)
Glass Chisel 1 kg on dense No break in 20,000 cycles
(Honda, GM) coating
Glass Chisel 3 kgs on dense No break in 10,000 cycles
(Toyota) TSM 1708G coating
Crocking: dry Mercedes DBL No wear through in 500 cycles; record
(Mercedes- 5578.30 coating min 4.5 actual
Benz) 500g load DIN 54002
Crocking: Ford- WSB- No break in 500 cycles; record
wet M2D49A2
900 gm load
coating actual
70˚C Water SPS 105 No delamination 1 day: record results.
immersion or damage to Repeat DBL 5578.30
coating dry abrasion test
Humidity Whitford test or No blistering or 7 days/38˚C, 95% or
“Cataplasm” adhesion loss 14 days
Oven aging Whitford test No cracking, 72 hrs @80˚C. Testing
tackiness or according to matrix
adhesion loss procedure previously
indicated
CoF ASTM D1894 Static: 1.1 Record actual
(Ford) Dynamic: 0.9
CoF PSA D41 or Static: >0.5 Refer to part
(Whitford) ASTM D1894 Dynamic: >0.5 drawing
Glass Mitsubishi ESX- Measure force Refer to part
adhesion 60058, 4:8 drawing
Cold flex DBL 5578.30 No cracks or
loss of adhesion
Record actual
Muddy water TSM 1708G 3000 cycles, no Record actual
abrasion test break in coating,
minimum rating 4
Honda
chooses Xylan
Mercedes-Benz
chooses Xylan
Nissan chooses
Xylan
Rover chooses
Xylan

How Xylan coatings solve problems
such as friction, freeze-release and stick-slip
Each flexible finish of Xylan has been engineered
to offer specific characteristics to solve
different problems.
Coefficient of friction
The following illustrations demonstrate how
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
Coefficients of friction for coated and uncoated
EPDM rubber measured against glass
UNCOATED
COATED WITH XYLAN
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Extension (mm)
Problem: Freeze-Release
The chart at the right shows the
significant decrease in force
required in a freeze-release test to
separate a rubber profile coated
with Xylan from a car body panel
compared with the force required
to separate the same substrate
but uncoated.
TYPICAL URETHANE:
Maximum load (N) Mean load (N)
9.012 4.935
XYLAN 2020:
Maximum load (N) Mean load (N)
2.301 2.068
160
COATED WITH
XYLAN
Xylan solves three of the most common problems
in sealing systems: high coefficient of friction,
limited release in freezing conditions, and
the noise generated by stick-slip.
Problem: Friction
The chart at the left shows the results of
a friction test conducted to compare the
coefficients of friction of uncoated rubber
profile with the same profile coated with
Xylan. Both the static coefficient of friction
illustrated by the initial peak in the
curve and the dynamic coefficient of friction
represented by the stable continuum
of the graph are significantly reduced in
the coated example.
Freeze-release characteristics
of coated and uncoated rubber samples
UNCOATED
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Force required to pull samples from surface (N)
Problem: Noise Generation through Stick-Slip
These traces show the difference in “stick-slip” of
rubber coated with typical urethane coatings vs.
rubber coated with a Xylan Weatherstrip material.
They indicate the amount of force required to move
the rubber test-piece across a glass or painted surface
at constant speed. The oscillating trace of the
urethane-coated sample represents its tendency to
“stick”. The peak force values (spikes in the trace)
indicate the extra force needed to move the urethane-coated
piece (causing it to “slip”). This “stickslip”
phenomenon often leads to itch and squeak
noises generated by seals moving against car bodies
when vehicles are in motion.

2b. Noise suppression:
Xylan eliminates itch
and squeak from
micromovement.
Which Xylan coating is best
for your sealing-system problem?
1. Glass run: Xylan’s excellent
abrasion resistance offers
years of extra wear.
All the new Xylan coatings have been formulated
to solve specific problems on varied substrates.
This guide indicates which coating is
best suited for each individual application.
1. Glass-Run Applications
These applications refer to the coating of
window seals in which automotive glass
moves during opening and closing operations.
The coatings have high abrasion resistance,
low consistent-friction values and low operational-noise
qualities, all major advantages
over traditional flock technologies.
◆ Solvent-borne option:
• 2321 Series (two-component system).
◆ Waterborne option:
• 2121 Series (two-component system).
2. Weatherstrip Applications
These applications refer to the coating of
primary and secondary door seals, boot
(trunk) seals and bonnet (hood) seals. The
reasons for using a coating include provision
for freeze (ice)-release and noise suppression
properties associated with the micromovement
of seals against a painted surface.
◆ Solvent-borne options:
• 2320 Series (two-component system).
2a. Freeze release:
Prevents sticky seals in
all weather conditions.
3. Appearance: Xylan comes in an
unlimited range of colors and textures.
It resists weathering, maintaining its
sheen for years of service.
◆ Waterborne options:
• 2020 Series (single component system).
3. Appearance Applications
These are the coating of sealing systems
for decorative effect. By inference, the coatings
are often required to have excellent
resistance to environmental weathering. This
group of applications includes coloured and
textured coatings.
◆ Solvent-borne option:
• 2322 Series (two-component system).
◆ Waterborne options:
• 2222 Series (one-component system).
• 2330 Series (one-component system).
Thanks to Xylan, the absence of itch and squeak lets the
beauty of nature speak in its own quiet way.

Abrasion...friction...
squeaking...colour...
freeze-release...weathering.
Whatever your sealing system
problems, Whitford will work
closely with you to develop
the perfect solution.
How to contact Whitford
Whitford manufactures in 8 countries, has employees in 6 more and agents
in an additional 25. To find the office nearest you, please contact:
Asia-Pacific
Whitford Ltd.
22nd Floor, Oterprise Square
26 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
• Tel: +852 2559-3833
• Fax: +852 2857-7911
• Email: sales@whitfordww.com.hk
North America
Whitford Corporation
33 Sproul Road
Frazer, PA 19355
• Tel: +1 (610) 296-3200
• Fax: +1 (610) 647-4849
• Email: sales@whitfordww.com
Europe
Whitford Plastics Ltd.
Christleton Court, Manor Park
Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1ST England
• Tel: +44 (0) 1928 571000
• Fax: +44 (0) 1928 571010
• Email: sales@whitfordww.co.uk
South America
Whitford Comercio e Industria Ltda.
Avenida Sao Carlos 620, 1 Distrito Industrial
Americo Brasiliense, SP, CEP 14820-000
Brazil
• Tel/Fax: +55 (16 ) 3392 6885
• Email: sales@whitfordww.com.br
Visit us at www.whitfordww.com or Email us at sales@whitfordww.com
Xylan is a registered trademark of Whitford.
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