A newly manufactured printed circuit board will generally perform well, but performance can quickly deteriorate due to external factors in its operating environment. Conformal coatings can be used in a wide range of environments to protect printed circuit boards from moisture, salt spray, chemicals and temperature extremes in order to prevent such things as corrosion, mould growth and electrical failures. The protection provided by conformal coatings allows for higher voltage gradients and closer track spacing, in turn enabling designers to meet the demands of miniaturisation and reliability.