Fluorinated ethylene propylene properties

These materials were first introduced by Du Pont in 1956 and are now known as Teflon FEP resins. (FEP = fluorinated ethylene-propylene.) Subsequently other commercial grades have become available (Neoflon by Daikin Kogyo and Teflex by Niitechim, USSR). These copolymers may be regarded as the first commercial attempt to provide a material with the general properties of PTFE and the melt processability of the more conventional thermoplastics. 

Fluorinated ethylene propylene (Teflon) (FEP) is a fully fluori-nated plastic. This polymer was developed to have a combination of unique properties. It combines the desirable properties of PTFE with advantageous melt processing properties. 

It resembles polytetrafluoroethylene and fluorinated ethylene propylene in its chemical resistance, electrical properties, and coefficient of friction. Its strength, hardness, and wear resistance are about equal to the former plastic and superior to that of the latter at temperatures above 150°C. 

FEP polymer, 10 220 18 306—307. See also Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) Perfluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) copolymers applications of, 18 315—316 chemical properties of, 18 313 dispersion processing of, 18 314 economic aspects of, 18 315 effects of fabrication on properties of, 18 315... 

Phadnis, S., Patri, M., Chandrasekhar, L. and Deb, P. C. 2005. Proton-exchange membranes via the grafting of styrene and acrylic acid onto fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer by a preirradiation technique. III. Thermal and mechanical properties of the membranes and their sulfonated derivatives. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 97 1418-1425. 

Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TEE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) has physical and chemical properties similar to those of PTFE but differs from it in that FEP can be processed by standard melt-processing techniques. 

More recently, modified fluoroplastics such as fluorinated ethylene/propylene copolymer, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, and polyvinylidene fluoride have been offered by DuPont, Allied Chemical, 3M, and Pennwalt respectively, to provide improved processability and mechanical strength at some sacrifice in heat-resistance, electrical properties, and chemical resistance and at prices of 3.70-7.15 these have also been finding appropriate if smaller markets. 

Examples of fluoroplastics include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), ethylene—chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), ethylene—tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), etc (see Fluorine compounds, organic). These polymers have outstanding electrical properties, such as low power loss and dielectric constant, coupled with very good flame resistance and low smoke emission during fire. Therefore, in spite of their relatively high price, they are used extensively in telecommunication wires, especially for production of plenum cables. Plenum areas provide a convenient, economical way to run electrical wires and cables and to interconnect them throughout nonresidential buildings (14). Development of special flame-retardant low smoke compounds, some based on PVC, have provided lower cost competition to the fluoroplastics for indoors application such as plenum cable, Riser Cables, etc. 

Fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP). It has a branched structure containing units of -CF2-CF2- and -CF2-CF (CF3)-. It retains most of the favorable properties of PTFE but its melt viscosity is low enough for conventional melt-processing. The introduction of HFP reduces the melting point of polytetrafluoroethylene from 325°C (617°F) to about 260°C (500°F).26... 

FEP — Fluorinated ethylene propylene having excellent nonstick and nonwetting properties. 

PVDF is the third most widely used fluoropolymer, after polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP). The worldwide consumption of PVDF was approximately 15,000 metric tons in 2001 and is growing at an annual rate of 6-8%. PVDF applications have been expanded over the past 40 years because of its unique physical properties, and have over 30 years of proven and field performance data on thermal, chemical, radiation, and weathering applications. PVDF applications include, but are not limited to, chemical processing of pipes and components, semiconductor, architectural finishes and coatings, electrical plenum, cable jacketing. 

Copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene were developed in attempts to provide materials with the general properties of PTFE and the melt process-ability of the more conventional thermoplastics. Two such copolymers are tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene (TFE-HFP) copolymers (Teflon FEP resins by Du Pont FEP stands for fluorinated ethylene propylene) with a melting point of 290°C and tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene (ETFE) copolymers (Tefzel by Du Pont) with a melting point of 270°C. These products are melt processable. A number of other fluorine containing melt processable polymers have been introduced. 

The best known fluorocarbon polymer is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon (DuPont). Other polymers containing fluorine are polytrifluorochloroethylene (PTFCE), polyvinylfluor-ide (PVF), and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP). Only PTFE will be discussed here since the others have rather inferior chemical and physical properties and are rarely used for implant fabrication. 

All TP or TS matrix property can be improved or changed to meet varying requirements by using reinforcements. Typical thermoplastics used include TP polyesters, polyethylenes (PEs), nylons (polyamides/ PAs), polycarbonates (PCs), TP polyurethanes (PURs), acrylics (PMMAs), acetals (polyoxymethylenes/POMs), polypropylenes (PPs), acrylonitrile butadienes (ABSs), and fluorinated ethylene propylenes (FEPs). The thermoset plastics include TS polyesters (unsaturated polyesters), epoxies (EPs), TS polyurethanes (PURs), diallyl phthalates (DAPs), phenolics (phenol formaldehydes/PFs), silicones (Sis), and melamine formaldehydes (MFs). RTSs predominate for the high performance applications with RTFs fabricating more products. The RTPs continue to expand in the electronic, automotive, aircraft, underground pipe, appliance, camera, and many other products. 

General Description Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), a melt-processable fluorocarbon, is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluo-ropropylene. Fluorinated ethylene propylene and TFE yield similar properties, with the exception ofTFE s lowermelt viscosity.fl 1 DuPont s high-performance material Teflon FEP film is a transparent, thermoplastic film.P ... 

Copolymers. Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene. It has properties similar to PTFE but with a melt viscosity suitable for molding with conventional toermoplastic processing techniques. The improved processabUity is obtained by replacing one of the fluorine groups on PTFE with a trifluoromethyl group as shown in Fig. 2.4. ... 

Fluorinated ethylene-propylene resin (FEP, PFEP) n. This member of the fluorocarbon family is a copolymer of tetrafluoroethy-lene and hexafluoropropylene, possessing most of the desirable properties of PTFE, yet truly meltable and, therefore, process-able in conventional extrusion and injection-molding equipment. It is available in pellet form for those operations and as dispersions for spraying and dipping. 

It can be seen in Table 4.3 that electrical properties cover a wide range and thus the volume resistivity of various polymers is between 2 ohm.cm for epoxy resins to 10 ohm.cm for fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer. Similarly, dielectric strength is in the range from 12 mV/m for urea-formaldehyde resins to 55 mV/m for fluorinated ethylene-propylene copolymer and 60 mV/m for PA 12. 

The macromolecule of perfluorinated alkoxy (PFA) or simply perfluoroalkoxy is based on the monomer unit [—(CFj) —CF(0—C F, )—(CFj) —] . Perfluoroalkoxy is similar to other fluorocarbons such as polytetrafluoroethylene and fluorinated ethylene propylene regarding its chemical resistance, dielectric properties, and coefficient of friction. Its mechanical strength. Shore hardness, and wear resistance are similar to PTFE and superior to that of FEP at temperatures above ISO C. PFA has a good heat resistance from -200 C up to 260°C near to that of PTFE but having a better creep resistance. 

Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) is an effective alternative to PTFE Teflon. Sharing many of the properties of PTFE, e.g. can be heat-shaped, but being less permeable to gases and also more transparent. In fact, FEP is the most transparent of all resins in the Teflon family. 

Standard injection and extrusion equipment is used with the lower-viscosity polymers fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinyli-denefluoride (PVDF), polyperfluoroalkoxyethylene (PFA), ethylene chlorotrifluoroethyl-ene (ECTFE), and others. This substitution, or copolymerization, where fluorine atoms have substitutes, results in property and processing changes. 

Figure 6-61. Heat-resistance properties of resins retaining 50 percent of properties obtainable at room temperature with resin exposure and testing at elevated temperature. Zone 1 Acrylics, cellulose esters, LDPE, PS, PVC, SAN, SBR, UF, etc. Zone 2 Acetals, ABS, chlorinated polyether, ethyl cellulose, EVA, ionomer, PA, PC, HDPE, PET, PP, PVC, PUR, etc. Zone 3 PCTFE, PVDF, etc. Zone 4 Alkyds, fluorinated ethylene-propylene, MF, polysulfone, etc. Zone 5 TS acrylic, DAP, epoxy, PF, TS polyester, PTFE, etc. Zone 6 Parylene, polybenzimidazole, silicone, etc. Zone 7 PAI, PI, etc. Zone 8 Plastics in R D etc. Since plastics compounding is rather extensive, certain basic resins can be modified to meet different heat-resistance properties.

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