SCS Parylenes Provide IPX7, IPX8 Waterproof Protection

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Specialty Coating Systems (SCS) is pleased to announce that it has conducted ingress protection testing on electronics coated with SCS Parylenes N, C, Parylene HT® and ParyFree® to support manufacturers. In response to the growing demand for Ingress Protection (IP)-rated products, many of the world’s leading consumer electronics manufacturers are turning to Parylene coatings. 

Following the guidelines of IEC 60529 14.2.7 and 14.2.8, the third-party tests involved submerging exposed LED boards in 1 meter of water for 30 minutes (meeting the requirements of IPX 7) and 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes meeting the requirements of IPX 8). While the uncoated control boards stopped functioning during the tests, the Parylene-coated boards continued to function properly, meeting the requirements of IPX7 and IPX8, respectively. It is important to note that for an IPX8 rating, the IEC does not specify an exact depth or time. Rather, it states “The test conditions are subject to an agreement between the manufacturer and the user, but they shall be more severe than those prescribed in the 14.2.7 (IPX7).”

According to the market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), liquids are the second-leading cause of damage to smartphones. In 2016, the IDC estimated that more than 900,000 smartphones per day are compromised by exposure to liquids.

While industry-standard solutions often advertise a product as possessing waterproof or water-resistant features, these vague terms do not quantify the exact measure of their effectiveness. While IP ratings have been used in industrial electronics for decades, leading consumer electronics manufacturers are now using IP ratings to differentiate their products.

Although manufacturers must test their own final products, engineers and developers can be confident in the protection that SCS Parylene coatings provide in the design of their IP-rated electronic devices.