Fluorine-containing polymers tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymers

Other fluorine-containing polymers, such as polychlorotrifluoroethy-lene, polyvinylidenefluoride, polyvinylfluoride, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene coplymer, and ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer, will not be covered in this chapter. 

The inability to process PTFE by conventional thermoplastics techniques has nevertheless led to an extensive search for a melt-processable polymer but with similar chemical, electrical, non-stick and low-friction properties. This has resulted in several useful materials being marketed, including tetrafluoro-ethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (Figure 13.1(d)), and, most promisingly, the copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoropropyl vinyl ether. Other fluorine-containing plastics include poly(vinyl fluoride) and polymers and copolymers based on CTFE. 

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. 

In this entry, fluoropolymer means a polymer that consists of partially or fully fluorinated olefinic monomers, such as vinylidene fluoride (CH2=CF2) and tetrafluor-oethylene (CF2=CF2). Commercial fluoropolymers include homopolymers and copolymers. Homopolymers contain 99wt.% or more one monomer and lwt.% or less of another monomer according to the convention by American Society for Testing Materials. Copolymers contain 1 wt.% or more of one or more comonomers. The major commercial fluoropolymers are based on tetrafluoroethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and to a lesser extent chlorotrifluoroethylene. Examples of comonomers include perfluoromethyl vinyl ether (PMVE), perfluoroethyl vinyl ether (PEVE), perfluoro-propyl vinyl ether (PPVE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP), chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), and perfluorobutyl ethylene (PFBE). 

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