Processing and applications of commercial fluoroplastics

Because of their unique properties, fluoroplastics are used in a great variety of applications (see Table 4.1). Details regarding nses of these materials are in Sections 4.2 and 4.5. 

Wiring, special coatings, seals, flexible hose and tubing, foams in aircraft insulation, particularly for ducts and air conditioning, electroluminescent lamps 

Roofing materials, architectural fabric, protective and decorative coatings 

Nonstick coatings for cookware, nonstick utensils, cooking sheets for cookies 

Electrical insulation, wires and cables, flexible printed circuits, ultrapure components for semiconductor manufacture, condensers, batteries, barrier films for packaging of sensitive electronic parts, films for photovoltaic modules 

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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. 

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