Teflon material is polytetrafluoroethylene, the Chinese name Teflon, Teflon is a resin, the chemical name is called polytetrafluoroethylene, is the ethylene (C2H4) in the four hydrogen (H) are replaced by fluorine (F), into tetrafluoroethylene (C2F4), and then formed by polymerization. Since Teflon is made of carbon and fluorine atoms and does not contain hydrogen, it does not react with oxygen. Polytetrafluoroethylene material, chemically known as polyperfluoroethylene propylene, is a polymer material that possesses high stability and unique properties. It is obtained by free-radical polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene monomer under the trade name “Teflon”, which was first successfully synthesized and commercially produced by DuPont in 1938.
Features of Teflon
- High temperature resistance: it can be used for a long time under high temperature, its melting point is as high as 327℃, and the temperature it can withstand for a short time can be more than 400℃. 2.
- Corrosion resistance: It has strong corrosion resistance to acid, alkali, salt and other chemicals. Even if it is used in extreme environments such as strong acid and alkali, there will be no chemical reaction.
- Insulation: It has very good electric insulation performance, can be used under high voltage, and has good arc resistance performance.
- Low friction: it has very good lubrication performance and extremely low coefficient of friction, which makes it widely used in various friction vice.
- Aging resistance: it has very good anti-aging properties, and will not deteriorate after a long time of use.
In addition to the above advantages, Teflon also has some disadvantages:
- High manufacturing cost: raw materials and production process are special, the manufacturing cost is relatively high.
- Difficulty in processing: it has a certain degree of plasticity, but the hardness is large, so it is very difficult to process, and requires the use of special processing equipment and technology, which greatly increases the manufacturing cost.
- Easily toughened: easily toughened problem, with the increase of use time, it will make its performance gradually reduced, need regular maintenance and replacement.
Application areas of Teflon material
Due to the special properties of Teflon, it has a wide range of applications, the following are a few common application areas:
- Chemical industry: Teflon has excellent corrosion resistance and is widely used in the transportation, storage and reaction of chemical products.
- Mechanical manufacturing field: Teflon’s low friction performance and high temperature resistance enable it to be used in various bearings, guide rails, seals, etc. to improve the stability and life of machinery.
- Medical industry: Teflon’s non-toxic, odorless and non-allergenic properties allow it to be used in the production of medical devices, such as catheters, electrode pads and so on.
- Food processing field: Teflon has good non-adhesive properties, which is widely used in food processing, such as baking film, candy molds and so on.
Classification of Teflon material
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE):
PTFE is the most original Teflon product, with excellent high and low temperature resistance, almost non-reactive with all known substances, and low coefficient of friction, superior electrical insulation properties. - Fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP)
FEP is a soft thermoplastic, easier to process and mold than PTFE, with lower melting point, it can be made into films, tubes, joints and other products by heat shrinking or injection molding at lower temperature. - Perfluoroalkoxy resin (PFA):
PFA also has excellent temperature resistance and chemical corrosion resistance, and still maintains good mechanical strength at high temperatures, and can be welded and injection molded.
4.Other derivatives:
Teflon also includes a number of composite materials and modified products, such as PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer) and so on, which are used in specific applications in the fields of construction, electronics, aerospace, environmental protection and so on.
As a polymer material with excellent performance, Teflon material plays an important role in many fields. Despite some application limitations, its unique properties and prospects for a wide range of applications still make it an indispensable material.
