Krytox applications

Perfluoropolyethers emerged on the market in the early 1970s. The first perfluoropolyether was the homopolymer of hexafluoropropylene oxide produced by DuPont, which has the structure [—CF2CF(CF3)0—] and this new lubricant material was called Krytox.31,32 Krytox was and is used in most of the vacuum pumps and diffusion oil pumps for the microelectronics industry because it does not produce any hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon vapor contamination. It also has important applications in the lubrication of computer tapes and in other data processing as well as military and space applications. 

The most important use of XV is its telomerization with fluoride ion to give a linear hydrofluoroacyl fluoride (XVI), that is fluorinated with elemental fluorine to give a linear perfluorinated polyether (XVIII), which is sold by Daikin as Demnum (Eq 13.18). Note that Demnum and Krytox are isomeric materials. In general, their properties are quite similar, but there are subtle differences in physical properties and in chemical stability in tribological applications. 

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