ETFE

ETFE  (Ethyleen Tetrafluoroethylene)

Fluoropolymers

Fluoropolymers are ideal for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical processing equipment because they have excellent chemical and thermal resistance. Their molecules have continuous non-reactive surfaces and are compatible with virtually all chemicals and solvents. They are far more resistant to chemical attack than conventional chlorinated and hydrocarbon polymers, and have far higher service temperatures. PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) is the original Fluoropolymer, discovered by DuPont in 1938. From this original development, there have been several other materials developed trying to improve on the difficult processing characteristics of PTFE. These have been more or less successful, having to trade properties of PTFE to attain other characteristics. The principal materials used in the industries that we serve are:

• PTFE
• PEEK
• PCTFE
• PVDF
• PFA
• PVDF

ETFE copolymers are alternating copolymers, and in the molecular formula, they are isomeric with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with head-to-head, tail-to-tail structure.

ETFE has excellent electrical and chemical properties. ETFE is especially suited for applications requiring:

• High Mechanical Strength
• High Chemical Resistance
• Superior thermal and electrical properties

The mechanical properties of ETFE are superior to those of PTFE and FEP (perfluoroalkoxy resins). It is also important to note that to modified ETFE copolymers are superior to PVDF except for PVDF’s remarkable piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties.