Why can plasma-treated cookware achieve non-stick properties with its microstructure?

In the field of modern cookware, plasma treatment technology is gradually emerging, bringing new breakthroughs to the performance improvement of cookware. Among them, the unique non-stick performance of plasma-treated cookware has attracted much attention, and the realization of this performance is largely due to the exquisite microstructure formed on its surface after plasma treatment.

As a cutting-edge process, plasma treatment technology plays a key role in cookware manufacturing. During the treatment process, the gas is first heated to an extremely high temperature through a specific device to transform it into a plasma state. Plasma has unique properties. It is composed of a large number of charged particles, can conduct electricity and has high energy. The arc generated in the plasma spray gun is used to form a high-temperature plasma jet, and special ceramic powders and other materials are introduced into the jet. These powders are quickly melted by the high-temperature plasma and sprayed onto the surface of the cookware at a very high speed. When the molten powder hits the surface of the cookware at high speed, it will quickly cool and solidify, thereby building a special coating on the surface of the cookware. This coating is not an ordinary planar structure, but a complex structure full of unique microscopic features.

The microstructure formed on the surface of cookware after plasma treatment is very unique and is the core element to achieve efficient non-stick performance. From a microscopic level, the surface of cookware is covered with tiny bumps and grooves, and the size of these microscopic features is usually at the micrometer or even nanometer level. The existence of these microstructures greatly changes the contact mode between food and the surface of the pot. When food contacts the surface of the pot, the actual contact area between the food and the pot is greatly reduced due to the existence of microscopic bumps and grooves. For example, it is like dividing a flat contact surface into countless tiny contact points, and the original large-area tight fit is replaced by scattered and sparse contact. This change in contact mode at the microscopic level makes it difficult for food to adhere tightly to a large area on the surface of the pot, thereby effectively reducing the occurrence of sticking.

The mechanism of this unique microstructure affecting non-stick performance is multifaceted. In the cooking process, heat transfer is an important factor. When the pot is heated, the raised part of the surface microstructure can be the first to contact the heat and heat up quickly, while the groove part plays a role of insulation and buffering to a certain extent. This uneven heating pattern makes the heat distribution in the contact area between food and pot more reasonable, avoiding sticking to the pot due to local overheating of food. For example, when frying eggs, after the egg liquid contacts the surface of the pot, due to the effect of the microstructure, the heat can be transferred to the egg liquid more evenly, causing it to solidify slowly and evenly, reducing the possibility of sticking to the surface of the pot due to local overheating.

In addition, the microstructure also has a significant impact on the behavior of liquid on the surface of the pot. In the cooking process, liquids such as grease and water are common media. On the microstructure surface of plasma-treated cookware, the wettability of the liquid has changed. Under the action of microscopic protrusions and gullies, liquids such as grease are difficult to form a continuous, large-area liquid film, but tend to exist in the gaps of the microstructure in the form of small droplets. These small droplets can roll and move relatively freely on the surface of the pot, further reducing the direct contact between food and the pot. When food is cooked in a pot, these dispersed droplets can form a lubricating layer between the food and the pot surface, just like laying countless tiny "balls" between the two, greatly reducing the friction when the food slides, making it easier for the food to move on the pot surface, thus effectively preventing the pot from sticking.

From a mechanical point of view, the existence of the microstructure also changes the relationship between the adhesion and friction between the food and the pot. For traditional pots with smooth surfaces, the adhesion between the food and the pot is relatively large. When trying to move the food, it is necessary to overcome a large friction, which easily causes the food to stick to the pot or even break. The microstructure of the plasma-treated cookware surface reduces the adhesion between the food and the pot by reducing the contact area. The grooves and protrusions in the microstructure can guide the force direction of the food when it moves to a certain extent, making the friction force on the food during the movement more uniform and dispersed, further reducing the risk of sticking to the pot due to uneven friction.

In actual cooking scenarios, plasma-treated cookware has demonstrated non-stick performance with its unique microstructure. Whether it is cooking ingredients with high viscosity, such as glutinous rice products, or frying and stir-frying that requires delicate operations, such as pancakes, this cookware can easily handle it. Glutinous rice products are prone to sticking during the cooking process, but on the surface of plasma-treated cookware, due to the effect of the microstructure, the contact area between glutinous rice and the pot is small, and it is difficult to form a strong adhesion, and it can maintain its intact shape when it is out of the pot. When frying pancakes, the batter can be evenly spread on the surface of the microstructure, the heat is evenly transferred, the pancake is not easy to break when turning over, and it will not stick to the pan at all, making the cooking process smoother and more efficient.