Fluoroplastics Family History:PFA, PTFE, FEP, ETFE, PVDF, PCTFE, PVF, THV, ECTFE, FEVE, and other fluororesins

1.What is fluoroplastic?

Fluoroplastics are made by polymerization of fluorine-containing monomers. Produced by homopolymerization or copolymerization reaction, of which, PTFE plastic is the largest production and use of products, due to the outstanding chemical stability and is known as the "king of plastics"; the king of plastics, "PTFE" has excellent performance, wide range of applications, in addition, PVDF, ETFE, FEP, PFA, PVF, PCTFE are all thermoplastic fluorine-containing plastics, focusing on the application of FEP cables and pump valves. With the continuous development of polymer science and technology, the varieties of fluoroplastics are gradually increasing, and the scope of application is expanding. At present, China, the United States, Japan and the European Union has become the international fluoropolymer plastics of the four major production and consumption of places.

2.Performance of fluoroplastics and R & D progress

As fluorine plastics contain fluorine atoms in the molecular structure, they have many excellent properties, such as excellent flame retardancy, stability, excellent electrical insulation properties, mechanical properties, high heat resistance, outstanding oil resistance, solvent resistance and abrasion resistance, good humidity resistance and low temperature resistance and other excellent properties.

3.Fluoroplastics are used in those industries

Fluorine plastic in the defense industry, aerospace, electronics, electrical, semiconductor, construction, medical, automotive, mechanical and electrical, metallurgy, petrochemical and other industrial sectors are often used in critical parts, harsh environments, is an indispensable functional material of modern science and technology, and has been widely used in various fields of the national economy.

Here are nine common fluoroplastics:

1. Polyperfluoroethylene propylene (FEP, commonly known as F46) [to FEP cable extrusion process is also shared with you in detail to facilitate your understanding of fluorine plastic processing awareness]

2. Ethylene - tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE, commonly known as F40)

3. Tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoro (n) propyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA)

4. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

5. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)

6. Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE)

7. Ethylene trichloroethylene copolymer (ECTFE)

What is FEP?

FEP (Fluorinated ethylene propylene) FEP, Chinese name: fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (perfluoroethylene propylene copolymer, polyperfluoroethylene propylene), commonly known as F46, is a copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoroethylene propylene, with hexafluoroethylene propylene content of about 15%, which is a modified material of polytetrafluoroethylene.

According to the processing needs, FEP can be divided into three kinds of granules, dispersions and lacquers. Among them, granules can be used for molding, extrusion and injection molding according to their melt index; dispersion for impregnation and sintering; and lacquer for spraying and so on.

Polyperfluoroethylene propylene has excellent resistance to corrosive media, and its lined valves are developed for the opening and closing control of various strong corrosive media in petroleum, chemical, dyeing, pesticide and other industries. Polyperfluoroethylene propylene lined valves, shell castings using melt mold precision casting, clean appearance, improved strength. Contact with corrosive media using lining or wrapping and the appearance of a variety of metal combinations, so the product in a variety of acids, alkalis, salts, strong corrosive media can work well.

What is ETFE

ETFE in English: ethylene-tetra-fluoroethylene, Chinese name: ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, commonly known as: polyfluoroethylene, also commonly known as: F40.

Specific gravity:1.7g/cm3

Molding Shrinkage:3.1-7.7%

Molding temperature:300-330°C

ETFE is the toughest fluoroplastic, it maintains the good heat resistance, chemical resistance and electrical insulation properties of PTFE while radiation resistance and mechanical properties have been improved to a large extent, the tensile strength can reach 50MPa, close to two times of PTFE. More importantly, its processing performance can be greatly improved, especially its adhesion and metal surface performance is outstanding, so that fluorine plastic and steel shell tight lining process can really be realized, that is, fluorine plastic F40 rotary lining production process, ETFE rotary processing products have a very good market prospects.

ETFE use

1, suitable for the production of corrosion-resistant parts, wear parts, seals, insulation and medical equipment parts.

2, wire, cable insulation, anticorrosion equipment, sealing materials, pumps and valves bushings, and chemical containers.

What is PFA?

PFA English name: Polyfluoroalkoxy, Chinese name: tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxy vinyl ether copolymer (also known as: perfluoroalkylation, soluble polytetrafluoroethylene), PFA resin is relatively new melt processing of fluorine plastics, PFA, FEP, PTFE chemical properties are similar, but FEP can only be used below 200 degrees. The chemical properties of PFA, FEP and PTFE are similar, but FEP can only be used below 200 degrees, and PTFE cannot be injection molded.

1.Specific gravity: 2.13-2.167 g / cubic centimeter

2.Molding shrinkage: 3.1-7.7%

3.Molding temperature:350-400℃

4.PFA melting point of about 580F, density of 2.13- 2.16g/cc (g/cc)

PFA is commonly known as fusible PTFE, a variety of performance is the crown of fluoroplastics, the use of FEP and similar. It is widely used in the semiconductor industry, as well as in medical, chemical anticorrosive, and automotive fields.

PFA products in the form of granular products for molding and extrusion, powdered products for rotational molding and coating; its semi-finished products are film, sheet, rod and tube. The U.S. market distribution of PFA resin DUPOut company's teflon brand, Daikin company's Neoflon brand, Ansimont company's Hthen brand, HOechst Celanese company's Hostafl brand.

1, the main purpose of PFA:

① suitable for the production of corrosion-resistant parts, wear parts, seals, insulation and medical equipment parts.

② high-temperature wire, cable insulation, corrosion-resistant equipment, sealing materials, pumps and valves bushings, and chemical containers.

What PTFE?

Polytetrafluoroethylene (Poly tetra fluoroethylene, abbreviated as PTFE), commonly known as "Plastic King", tetrafluoroethylene as a monomer polymerization of polymers. It is white wax-like, semi-transparent, with excellent heat and cold resistance, and can be used for a long time at -180-260ºC. This material is resistant to acids, alkalis, and various organic solvents, and is virtually insoluble in all solvents. At the same time, PTFE has the characteristics of high temperature resistance, its coefficient of friction is extremely low, so it can be used for lubrication, but also become an ideal coating for the inner layer of easy-to-clean water pipes; toxic, human carcinogen. Teflon (set) tube is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE commonly known as Teflon, Plastic King) material extrusion sintering, drying, high-temperature sintering, sizing and other processes made of special tubing

Product characteristics

High chemical stability: it can withstand all strong acids, including aqua regia, hydrofluoric acid, concentrated hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, fuming sulfuric acid, organic acids, etc., strong bases, strong oxidizing agents, reducing agents and various organic solvents. Very suitable for high-purity chemical feed use, resistant to almost all industrial chemicals and solvents

② low coefficient of friction: the coefficient of friction is generally only 0.04, is an excellent self-lubricating material, and the coefficient of friction does not change with the change in temperature

③Excellent anti-adhesion, the inner wall of the tube is not easy to adhere to the colloid and chemicals, even if there is a little adhesion, can be removed in a simple way, including water and oil, can be used to prevent dirt and keep clean

Excellent aging resistance, can be used outdoors for a long time.

⑤Excellent electrical insulation properties: PTFE is a highly non-polar material with good dielectric properties, extremely high resistance and a dielectric constant of about 2.0, which is the smallest among all electrical Insulation Materials.

(6) Part of the tube is highly transparent, can easily observe the internal fluid conditions

(7) Corrosion resistance: almost all chemicals or solvents do not react, only in high temperature and fluorine and alkali metal reaction.

(8) Wear resistance: Teflon tube has a very low coefficient of friction, excellent wear resistance. Even under heavy load sliding shows excellent abrasion resistance.

What is PVDF?

PVDF in English: poly (vinylidene fluoride), Chinese name: polyvinylidene fluoride, also known as: polyvinylidene fluoride. (Daikin, DuPont Komu, there is no PVDF in the market)

PVDF is the second largest product in the fluoroplastic family, due to the good processing performance of PVDF, so in recent years has been rapid development. PVDF anti-corrosion products can be used as valves, pipeline linings, can also be made of all-plastic parts to PVDF as raw materials for the manufacture of large-scale equipment can reach 10m in diameter and can be made into blisters, complex structure of the filler and other shaped parts.

PVDF is a crystalline polymer, low melting point, high mechanical strength, wear-resistant, cut-resistant, heat-resistant, corrosion-resistant, high dielectric constant. In addition, PVDF also has excellent weather resistance, UV resistance, radiation resistance and processing performance, at the same time, PVDF processing temperature is low, melt flow is good, can be used for the production of tubes, plates, rods, films, fibers and all-plastic valves.

PVDF has good gas barrier, special piezoelectricity, thermoelectricity, etc. It is used in building anticorrosive, weathering coating, chemical anticorrosive, piezoelectricity material, hanging fish line, etc.

I. Material properties

PVDF appearance is translucent or white powder or particles, the molecular chain is tightly arranged, and there is a strong hydrogen bonding, oxygen index of 46%, non-combustible, crystallinity of 65% ~ 78%, density of 1.17 ~ 1.79g/cm3, melting point of 172 ° C, the heat distortion temperature of 112 ~ 145 ° C, the long-term use of the temperature of -40 ~ 150 ° C. PVDF resin king if the biotin is the weather resistant paint, chemical corrosion-resistant materials, piezoelectricity, hanging fish line.

PVDF resin is a homopolymer of vinylidene fluoride or a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and other small amount of fluorine-containing vinyl monomers. PVDF resin is both fluorine resin and general-purpose resin, which has good resistance to chemical corrosion, high temperature, oxidation, weathering, and radiation, and also has special properties such as piezoelectricity, dielectricity, and thermo-electricity, etc. It is the second largest product of the fluorine-containing plastics. It is the second largest product in the production of fluorine-containing plastics, with an annual production capacity of more than 130,000 tons in 2020 globally.

Usage of PVDF

PVDF applications are mainly concentrated in the petrochemical, electrical and electronic and fluorocarbon coatings in three major areas, due to PVDF good chemical resistance, processability and resistance to fatigue and creep, it is one of the best materials for the petrochemical equipment fluid handling system as a whole or lining of pumps, valves, pipes, pipe fittings, storage tanks and heat exchangers. Its good chemical stability, electrical insulation properties, so that the production of equipment to meet the TOCS and flame retardant requirements, is widely used in the semiconductor industry on the storage and delivery of high-purity chemicals, in recent years the use of PVDF resin made of porous film, gel, diaphragm, etc., in the application of lithium-secondary batteries, the use of this application to become the fastest-growing demand for PVDF one of the fastest-growing markets. PVDF is one of the most important fluorocarbon coatings PVDF is one of the most important raw materials for fluorocarbon coatings, and the fluorocarbon coatings prepared from it have been developed to the sixth generation. Due to the super weather resistance of PVDF resin, it can be used outdoors for a long time without maintenance, and such coatings are widely used in power stations, airports, highways, high-rise buildings, and so on. In addition, PVDF resin can also be modified with other resin blending, such as PVDF and ABS resin blending to get composite materials, has been widely used in construction, automotive decoration, home appliance shells and so on.

In the chemical structure, fluorine is combined with a carbon-based bond, which has a short bond structure with hydrogen ions to form the most stable and solid combination. Therefore, fluorocarbon coatings have special physicochemical properties, not only have strong wear resistance and impact resistance, but also in the extremely harsh and severe environment has a high resistance to color fading and ultraviolet resistance.

What is PCTFE?

The English name of PCTFE is Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), the Chinese name is Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), also known as Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE).

PCTFE has high hardness, excellent low temperature resistance and dimensional stability, and is mainly used for low temperature sealing, electrical, anti-corrosion and radiation protection components.

PCTFE resins distributed in the U.S. market include 3M's Kel-FI brand, Daikin's Daiflon brand, and AlliedlSignal's Acfon brand. (DuPont/Commerce does not have PCTFE in the market)

I. Material Properties

PCTFE is a product of free radical initiated polymerization of trifluoroethylene with a linear backbone of mainly repeating a CF(cl)-CF unit.

PCTFE is a crystalline polymer with a melting point of 425F and a density of 2.13g/cc (grams per cubic centimeter).

PCTFE is inert to most active chemicals at room temperature, while it can be dissolved by a few solvents above 212 T. It can also be solubilized by some solvents, especially chlorinated solvents.PCTFE has excellent gas barrier ability, and the water vapor permeability of its membrane products is the lowest among all transparent plastic membranes. Its electrical properties are similar to those of other perfluoropolymers, but the dielectric constant and loss factor are slightly higher, especially at high frequencies.PCTFE can be made into thick (1/8 inch) optically transparent parts.

PCTFE can be melt processed, but due to the high viscosity of the melt, there is a tendency to degrade resulting in the performance of the processed product deterioration, so processing difficulties.

PCTFE resin can be made into pellets for molding and extrusion. Film thickness of 0.001-0.010 inches, can also be made into rods and tubes.

What is ECTFE?

ECTFE in English: Ethylene-chlorotrifluororthylene copolymer, Chinese name: ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer, referred to as F30.

In 1946, DuPont synthesized the copolymer of ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene for the first time; in 1974, the Applied Chemical Organization commercialized ECTFE for the first time under the trade name of HALAR@; in the early 1980s, because of the increase in the demand for ECTFE, the Applied Chemical Organization designed another facility for the production of ECTFE; in 1986, the Applied Chemical Organization put the ECTFE products and technology were sold to the United States of America Ausimont Corporation, since then the Applied Chemical Organization has never been re-produced ECTFE. at present, the world only the United States of America's Ausimont company in the production of commercialized 1:1 cross-linked ECTFE copolymer.

I. ECTFE Characteristics and Uses

ECTFE fluorocarbon powder coatings are resistant to acids, most strong bases, strong oxidizing agents and other chemicals. It has excellent stability to some inorganic solutions (including water and salt solutions). There is no existing solvent that can dissolve ECTFE or cause it to stress crack at temperatures not higher than 120°C. ECTFE's resistance to chemicals is comparable to that of perfluoropolymers and superior to that of polyvinylidene fluoride.

Ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE) is a second-generation fluorine copolymer. It is a thermoplastic fluorine copolymer with alternating polymer chain structure.ECTFE has extraordinary corrosion resistance to most inorganic and organic chemicals as well as organic solvents. Until now, no solvent has been able to attack ECTFE below 120°C or cause cracks. ECTFE's resistance to chlorine and chlorine derivatives at elevated temperatures is particularly outstanding compared to other thermoplastics.ECTFE's extremely low permeability, excellent electrical properties, and extremely smooth surface make it safe for use in temperatures ranging from low temperatures up to 149° C. ECTFE not only has outstanding impact resistance, but it is also a tough material with considerable mechanical properties, and the finished material has a surface similar to that of The surface of the finished material is similar to that of glass, which prevents the proliferation of microorganisms and is permitted to be used in the food and drinking water sectors. Moreover, ECTFE resin is a very pure fluorine copolymer, which does not require additives such as UV and heat-resistant stabilizers, plasticizers, lubricants or flame retardants.

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