1. What is the difference between a Sodium Ammonia etch and Tetra-Etch/ Natrex etch?
 

Sodium Ammonia Etch and Tetra-etch/ Natrex both use Sodium to strip the Fluorine atoms from a carbon chain. To break down the Sodium however, different chemicals are used. A Sodium Ammonia etch uses Anhydrous Ammonia to break down Sodium into a state that can etch, while Tetra-etch/ Natrex use Tetrafuranapelene.

Material etched with a Sodium Ammonia etch will be bondable from 2 to 8 months depending on packaging and storage. Other methods of etching will be bondable from 4 hours to about 11days depending on process, packaging and storage.(These processes lose bondability from exposure to light and air.)

Clean up for a Sodium Ammonia etch is a simple water rinse at an ambient temperature, then air dried with fans. Other etching methods require rinses in expensive N-Butal Alchohol, Then rinsed with hot water baths.

 
2. What type of Material do we etch?
 

We etch the following but are not limited to:

Teflon® Tefzel Kapton F® PTFA Viton Rulon®
PFA Kynar All Fluoropolymers FEP Tedlar®
 
3. Will our Sodium Ammonia etch harm copper, aluminum, gold, silver or Tin?
 
Our etch has no effect on copper, aluminum, gold, silver, or tin.
 
4. How long is the Sodium Ammonia etch good for?
 
Depending on packaging, storage and materials being etched, material will keep their bondability from 2 to 8 months.