Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer Extrusion

Ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer thermoplastic, high-performance melt extrusion... 

Ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer n A copolymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (DuPont Tefzel ), ETFE is readily processed by extrusion and injection molding. It has excellent resistance to heat, abrasion, chemicals, and impact, with good electrical properties. 

Part Two describes the fabrication techniques for various fluoropolymers. They include perfluoroalkoxy polymer (PFA), fluorinated ethylene-propylene polymer (FEP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), ethylene-chlo-rotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF). Major fabrication techniques including injection molding, extrusion, compression... 

Tefze 200 Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE) general purpose, melt extrusion resin. 

Commonly accepted practice restricts the term to plastics that serve engineering purposes and can be processed and reprocessed by injection and extrusion methods. This excludes the so-called specialty plastics, eg, fluorocarbon polymers and infusible film products such as Kapton and Upilex polyimide film, and thermosets including phenolics, epoxies, urea—formaldehydes, and silicones, some of which have been termed engineering plastics by other authors (4) (see Elastomers, synthetic-fluorocarbon elastomers Fluorine compounds, organic-tetrafluoroethylene copolymers with ethylene Phenolic resins Epoxy resins Amino resins and plastics). 

Extrusion-Applied Insulations. The polymers used in extrusion applications can be divided into two classes low-temperature applications and high-temperature applications. Polymers in the first category are poly(vinyl chloride), polyethylene, polypropylene, and their copolymers along with other elastomers. Polymers in the second category are mainly halocarbons such as Teflon polytetrafluoroethylene (which requires special extrusion or application conditions), fluoroethylene-propylene copolymer (FEP), perf luoroalkoxy-modified polytetrafluoroethylene (PFA), poly(ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene) (ETFE), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2) (borderline temperature of 135 °C), and poly(ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene). Extrusion conditions for wire and cable insulations have to be tailored to resin composition, conductor size, and need for cross-linking of the insulating layer. 

Fluoriuated Ethylene Propylene Copolymer Thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafiuoro-propylene. Has deereased tensile strength and wear and creep resistanee, but good weatherability, dielectric properties, fire and ehemical resistance, and friction. Decomposes above 204°C (400°F), releasing toxic products. Processed by molding, extrusion, and powder coating. Used in chemieal apparatus liners, pipes, containers, bearings, films, eoatings, and cables. Also called FEP. 

The melt processible fluoroplastics are often desired due to the cost benefits of melt extrusion over paste extrusion. FEP, PEA and specially formulated melt processible perfluoroplastics are used in many of these applications however, in some of these applications, perfluoroplastics may not be the ideal choice. In cases where high cut-through resistance and better tensile properties are required, it is often desirable to employ a partially fluorinated polymer such as ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene). ETFE is the copolymer of ethylene and TEE [16] that normally includes an additional termonomer to increase the flexibility required in commercial applications [17]. The increased physical and electronic interactions of the ETFE polymer chain are responsible for the comparatively enhanced physical properties. Additionally, the partially fluorinated polymers may be cross-linked to further improve physical properties. These benefits, however, are obtained at the expense of the unique properties of perfluoroplastics discussed in the Introduction and Overview. 

The most chemical-resistant plastic commercially available today is tetrafluoroethylene or TFE (Teflon). This thermoplastic is practically unaffected by all alkahes and acids except fluorine and chlorine gas at elevated temperatures and molten metals. It retains its properties up to 260°C (500°F). Chlorotrifluoroethylene or CTFE (Kel-F, Plaskon) also possesses excellent corrosion resistance to almost all acids and alkalies up to 180°C (350°F). A Teflon derivative has been developed from the copolymerization of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene. This resin, FEP, has similar properties to TFE except that it is not recommended for continuous exposures at temperatures above 200°C (400°F). Also, FEP can be extruded on conventional extrusion equipment, while TFE parts must be made by comphcated powder-metallurgy techniques. Another version is poly-vinylidene fluoride, or PVF2 (Kynar), which has excellent resistance to alkahes and acids to 150°C (300°F). It can be extruded. A more recent development is a copolymer of CTFE and ethylene (Halar). This material has excellent resistance to strong inorganic acids, bases, and salts up to 150°C. It also can be extruded. 

Fluorinated Ethylene-Propylene Resin (FEP, PFEP) This member of the fluorocarbon family is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene, possessing most of the desirable properties of PTFE, yet truly meltable and, therefore, processable in conventional extrusion and injection-molding equipment. It is available in pellet form for those operations and as dispersions for spraying and dipping. 

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