Melting point ECTFE

PCTFE has better mechanical properties than PTFE because the presence of the chlorine atom in the molecule promotes the attractive forces between molecular chains. It also exhibits greater hardness, tensile strength, and considerably higher resistance to cold flow than PTFE. Since the chlorine atom has a greater atomic radius than fluorine, it hinders the close packing possible in PTFE, which results in a lower melting point and reduced propensity of the polymer to crystallize.7 The chlorine atom present in ECTFE, a copolymer of ethylene and CTFE, has a similar effect on the properties of the polymer. 

Fluoropolymers can be fabricated into hollow objects by rotomolding. They are, however, hard to mold due to their relatively high melting point andmelt viscosity. The most frequently rotomolded fluoropolymers are PFA, FEP, PVDF, ETFE, and ECTFE. Fluoropolymers constitute about 1% of all rotomolded parts. 

Other melt-processable fluoroplastics include ethylene-chlorotrifiuoroethylene (ECTFE) copolymer (melting point 240°C), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (melting point 170°C), and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), which is commercially available only as film. 

The unit cell of alternating copolymers of ECTFE is hexagonal with a chain repeat distance of 0.502 mn.[57][58] pjjg (.gp contains three molecules and occupies a volume of 0.324 nm. f l The preferred morphology of ECTFE chains is similar to that of ETFE where chlorotrifluoroethylene units line up opposite ethylene in the adjacent chain. This structure has been credited for the relatively high melting point and physical properties of equimolar ECTFE. 

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