Fluoroplastics mainly include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) which is difficult to melt processing, tetrafluoroethylene – hexafluoropropylene copolymer (FEP), tetrafluoroethylene – perfluorovinyl ether copolymer (PFA), ethylene – tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polytrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) which can be melt processed, all belong to the category of special engineering plastics. Compared with other engineering plastics, fluoroplastics have outstanding high and low temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance and weather resistance, excellent electrical insulation, low friction and non-adhesion, etc. Therefore, fluoroplastics have become high-grade polymer materials indispensable for many fields and modern science and technology development, and can be found in aircraft in the sky, exploration equipment in the ground, ships in the water, transportation tools on the ground, various industrial equipment with anti-corrosion sealing requirements, and even various artificial organs. Fluoroplastics can be found in all kinds of artificial organs.
The following is a description of the properties and applications of PTFE, FEP, PFA, PCTFE and PVDF, which make up the fluoroplastic family.
| Fluoroplastics Family Basic Information & Density Comparison | |||||
| Name | PTFE | FEP | PFA | PCTFE | PVDF |
| Full Name | Polytetrafluoroethylene | Fluorinated rhtylene propylene | Perfluoro-alokoxy | Polychlorotrifluoroethylene | Polyvinydenefluoride |
| Other names | King plastic, Teflon, Teflon F4 | / | / | / | Steel Fluorlon, F2 |
| Color | Natural white, black, other colors | Natural color | Natural color | Natural color | Natural color (slightly transparent and clear) |
| Density (g/cm3) | 2.13—2.19 | 2.14-2.17 | 2.12-2.17 | 2.10-2.18 | 1.77 |
| Fluoroplastic Family Properties & Applications | ||||||
| Name | Features | Applications | ||||
| PTFE | ● Excellent corrosion resistance, except for some fluoride and alkaline metal fluids. ● Flame retardant performance, oxygen limit index below 90. ● Low coefficient of friction. ● Non-stick, self-lubricating properties. ● High and low temperature resistance, temperature range -200~260℃. ● Excellent electrical insulation properties. ● Weather aging resistance. ● Low permeability, good gas barrier. ● Good physiological compatibility and antithrombotic properties. | PTFE as a high and low temperature resistant material, corrosion resistant material, insulation material in the atomic energy, defense, aerospace, electronics, electrical, chemical, mechanical, instrumentation, instrumentation, construction, textile, metal surface treatment, pharmaceutical, medical, food, metallurgical smelting industry, become irreplaceable products. For example, it is used to make sealing gaskets, anti-corrosion parts, medical equipment, pickling tanks, wear-resistant parts, etc. | ||||
| FEP | ● Good abrasion resistance, excellent self-lubrication performance ● Excellent electrical insulation, good arc resistance ● Good resistance to high and low temperatures ● Can be used under -196 -200C temperature for a long time ● Excellent chemical corrosion resistance ● Good airtightness, irradiation resistance | ● Used in mechanical industry as sealing ring, instrument parts, etc. ● Electrical industry as electric wire insulation, cable protection cover, corrosive liquid and gas transport pipe, electric wire, etc. ● Used in the chemical industry as pumps, valves, distillation towers, heat exchangers, parts and seals ● Used in the atomic energy industry as a protective material and sealing material ● Used in the medical field for repairing heart valves and small airways ● Concentrated acid dispersion is used as corrosion-resistant coating, impregnated glass cloth, asbestos cloth, asbestos rope, etc. and corrosion-resistant products ● Used in various anti-corrosion, anti-adhesive, light-transmitting parts, capacitor insulation, sealing and wear-reducing parts, etc. | ||||
| PFA | ● Good abrasion resistance and excellent self-lubricating properties ● Excellent chemical resistance, corrosion resistant to all chemicals. ● Friction coefficient is the lowest among plastics. It has good electrical properties, and its electrical insulation is not affected by temperature, so it is called the king of plastics. The creep resistance and compression strength are better than Teflon, and the tensile strength is high. ● Good dielectric properties and excellent radiation resistance. Non-toxic, physiologically inert and can be implanted in human body. | ● PFA sheets and rods are suitable for making corrosion-resistant injection molded parts, high-temperature wires and cables, wear-resistant parts, seals, insulating parts, medical equipment parts, blow molding products, etc. ● PFA pipes are used for corrosive liquid and gas transmission pipes, electric wire and cable protection pipes. | ||||
| PCTFE | ● With high crystallinity, good chemical resistance ● High transparency, ● The product has good cold flow resistance and dimensional stability, excellent molding performance, and good adhesion to metal ● Resistant to heat, acid, alkali and organic solvents (except halides), but not molten caustic and elemental fluorine ● Soluble in aromatic hydrocarbons and carbon tetrachloride | Suitable for application in contact with strong corrosive media, high pressure system sealing and gasket materials, observation window transparent materials, and electrical insulation materials, etc. Therefore, it has special significance in the chemical and atomic energy industries, but its price is more expensive than PTFE. It is generally used in chemical equipment with high performance requirements, insulated cables, radio appliances, capacitive products and heat-resistant or low-temperature resistant accessories, etc. Dispersions are used to make coatings and films against magic corrosion. | ||||
| PVDF | ● High rigidity and high strength ● Good toughness, good wear resistance, excellent creep resistance ● Good chemical stability, good corrosion resistance ● Aging resistance, UV resistance ● Good mechanical properties, easy to weld, thermoform and other mechanical processing ● Insulation resistance, high insulation strength, but very low flammability | ● Pumps, valves, pipelines for the whole or lining of the fluid handling system of petrochemical equipment, ● Optimum material body for storage tanks and heat exchangers, ● It can meet the requirements of anti-corrosion and flame retardant, and is widely used in the storage and delivery device of high-purity chemicals in the semiconductor industry ● Other pump parts, rotating discs, valves, stop valves, extraction centrifuges, cogs, pipe connections, slide rails, etc. | ||||
