How Is PTFE Fabric Made?

PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a synthetic polymer known as a fluoropolymer. A fluoropolymer is a polymer composed of carbon and fluorine molecules, and the main component of PTFE is tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), which is a member of the fluorocarbon family.

 

The most remarkable property of PTFE is that it is completely hydrophobic due to its low dielectric constant, which means that water cannot pass through this synthetic material. This property makes PTFE very popular in any application where large or small scale water blockage is required.

 

In addition, PTFE has an incredibly high melting point. PTFE can withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees Kelvin, which is equivalent to 327 degrees Celsius or 620 degrees Fahrenheit. PTFE also has one of the lowest coefficients of friction of any polymer, which means it is smooth to the touch and easy to clean. In addition, PTFE is highly abrasion resistant and has high tensile strength.

PTFE Coated Fiberglass Fabric

PTFE was not made intentionally; rather, it was discovered by accident in 1938 by a DuPont scientist named Dr. Roy Plunkett. At the time, DuPont was a world leader in the development of synthetic textiles and many other synthetic materials, and Plunkett was in the process of trying to develop a new form of chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant.

 

How Is PTFE Fabric Made?

PTFE is polymerized from tetrafluoroethylene (TFE). In turn, TFE is created by combining fluorspar, hydrofluoric acid, and chloroform. To create TFE, these three components are combined under high temperatures through a process called pyrolysis. The resulting substance is in a gaseous form, and it is converted into a liquid under high pressure in low temperatures.

 

TFE is highly volatile, so it isn't commonly transported. Instead, most PTFE manufacturers make their own TFE on site. In the process of creating TFE, small amounts of a number of different chemicals, such as disuccinic acid and ammonium persulfate, may be used as initiators, and large amounts of water are also used in the PTFE production process.

 

Once TFE has been acquired, PTFE may be made in a variety of different ways, and most manufacturers of this type of fabric have production process trade secrets that they do not share. However, the various production processes used to make PTFE can all be sorted into to basic categories: suspension polymerization and dispersion polymerization.

PTFE Coated Fiberglass Fabric

How Is PTFE Fabric Used?

PTFE is used in a wide variety of applications. Nearly 50% of the world's PTFE is used in the computer industry because of its high dielectric strength. Since its first use on the Apollo missions, NASA has used PTFE on many different manned and unmanned space missions, and the substance is also used to make electrical wire insulation in extreme climates such as Antarctica.

 

Because of its low coefficient of friction, PTFE is also used in bearings, bushings, gears, seals and gaskets, and is often used in the aerospace industry to produce carbon fiber composites. PTFE's UV resistance makes it popular for outdoor industrial applications, and PTFE is also commonly used to coat the exterior of flexible building materials.

 

PTFE is used in many other industrial and scientific applications, but the environment where consumers are most often exposed to this polymer is in nonstick cookware. While Teflon is a registered trademark of DuPont, many other companies make similar coatings, and most types of cookware on the market today are coated with Teflon to make them easier to use and clean. teflon and similar substances are also used in a variety of applications such as gaming mice and 3D printers to help reduce friction.

 

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