Aluminium is a versatile material, that has good thermal conductivity and is very easily handled thanks to its low specific gravity, about one third than copper or steel. Today, aluminium is widely used and appreciated thanks to the highly advanced techniques available to make it highly polished, scratchresistant and easy to clean, and it is no chance that aluminium is used in professional kitchens. Bare metal is appropriate to boil food, but for all the other cooking processes the ideal solution is aluminium coated with a non-stick layer that makes it possible to cook without fats.
Nowadays, the quality of the non-stick coating is technologically advanced, made of several layers that make it abrasion and scratch resistant. However, in order to preserve the integrity of the non-stick finish it is advisable to use wooden or plastic implements.

In its laboratories, Accademia Mugnano has developed AM Salus: an exclusive application process that, in all the different types of nonstick surfaces used, ensures the best performances in terms of:
• resistance to corrosion, cuts and scratches
• wear resistance
• facilitated cleanup
• protection of consumers’ health and environment.

To evaluate each of these characteristics, the laboratories of Accademia Mugnano subject the coatings to rigorous tests according to the international standards and industry-specific requirements.

The non-stick coatings applied by us contain in accordance with the Califonia Assembly Bill No. 1200 the substances as listed by the Department of Substance Control dated November 16, 2022:
- PFASs Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Subsubstances max 600mg/dm2

AMONG THESE TESTS WE SHOULD MENTION:
Scratch resistance - MUST (Mechanical Utensil Scratch Test) test
This testing method for the coating applied to the cookware makes it possible to rate the scratch resistance of a PTFE coating heated to 200° by scratching it with a tungsten carbide ball (for instance, the tip of a ball-point pen, e.g., Paper Mate 91.534, as recommended by British Standard Specification BS 7069) again and again, until the aluminium layer is reached. The final count, referred to as cycle, gives the number of times that the coating has withstood the action of the metal ball. Accordingly, the stronger is the non-stick coating, the greater will be the number of cycles assigned to it.

Abrasion resistance of the non-stick coating
An abrasive pad (e.g., a Scotch Brite pad) is dragged back and forth across the surface of a pan covered with domestic dish soap. The number of passages gives the abrasion resistance of the coating .