What is a Fluoroplastic, Fluoropolymer or Fluorocarbon Films?
A group of plastic films where the molecules contain carbon and fluorine which dramatically change the properties to include: very high working temperatures, no-stick characteristics, very high resistance to chemicals and solvents, and very high electrical resistance.

F fluorine Fluorine typically imparts chemical resistance, thermal stability, and low surface energy. Fluoro Intermediates are used as the key building blocks require fluoropolymers.

TFE tetrafluoroethylene TFE is the key per fluorinated monomer used to produce a wide range of fluoropolymers. Most Teflon® film branded fluoropolymer products are derived from TFE. This monomer can also be used to add fluorinated functionality to a variety of hydrocarbon precursors. For example, a fluorinated ether can be synthesized through nucleophilic addition of an alkoxide across the double bond of TFE.

PPVE perfluoropropyl vinyl ether A clear liquid that is useful as a comonomer in polymerizations and can also be used to add fluorinated functionality to organic precursors. PPVE is a per fluorinated vinyl ether comonomer that is used in polymerizations to produce fluoroplastics. Per fluorinated vinyl ethers are effective in disrupting crystallinity in TFE based polymers and PPVE is commonly used in the synthesis of PFA. Two co-polymers using PPVE as co-monomer are commercially important: TFM, a copolymer with about 0.1% PPVE & PFA, a copolymer with 3-15% PPVE. DuPont Fluoromonomer PPVE.
          DuPont Product Information H-51252-2

PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene Basic PTFE is a linear polymer of TFE and is a true homopolymer. Virgin (pure) PTFE is the most unusual and exhibits the best performance in terms of temperature resistance, chemical resistance, and non-stick properties. Its major disadvantage is that it does not actually melt when heated and therefore is difficult to process, and very unconventional techniques are needed to mold, extrude and weld it.

Modified PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene Modified PTFE is skived from a modified homopolymer PTFE resin containing some percentage of a fully fluorinated comonomer (usually PPVE). This chemically modified version of PTFE yields a material with improved electrical and physical properties over virgin PTFE. The result is a material that exhibits equivalent chemical resistance, increased tensile strength and greater elongation. Unlike virgin PTFE, conventional plastic techniques can be used to process this material (ie thermally bonding or fusing Modified PTFE to itself). Because of these properties Modified PTFE is often a lower cost alternative to other melt processable films (ie PFA and FEP). There are a variety of different resin manufacturers and different processor recipes available, but only three resin types have been found to be suitable for Thermal Impulse Heat Sealing. We recommend Modified PTFE skived from Dyneon TFM 1700 resin, DuPont NXT 70 resin or Daiken M-111 resin. Manufacturers of Skived Modified PTFE from these resins include DeWal Industries: DW 200 from Dyneon TFM 1700 resin, DW 220 from Dyneon TFM 1700 resin, and DW 201 from DuPont NXT 70 Resin.

TFM™ PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene TFM™ is a chemically modified PTFE resin manufactured by Dyneon™, with about 0.1% PPVE. TFM™ retains all the proven advantages of conventional PTFE plus it offers enhanced properties including: substantially lower deformation under load, lower permeation due to denser polymer structure and fewer voids, better weldability, improved stress recovery (particularly at elevated temperatures), smoother surface finishes, and higher transparency. The most common brand name is Dyneon™ TFM™ PTFE resin.

Teflon® Film is a Registered trademark of DuPont, Teflon® film has become a familiar household name, recognized worldwide for the superior non-stick properties associated with its use as a coating on cookware and as a soil and stain repellant for fabrics and textile products.The Teflon® film trademark was coined by DuPont and registered in 1945; the first products were sold commercially under the trademark beginning in 1946. Today, the family of fluoropolymers from DuPont consists of: PTFE, the original resin; FEP, introduced in 1960; Tefzel® ETFE film in 1970; and PFA, in 1972. For more information on the history of Teflon® film visit www.teflon.com

FEP fluoroethylene-propylene FEP was developed by DuPont as a Melt Processable Teflon® film which can be processed by normal plastic methods unlike virgin PTFE. With the same benefits as other fluoropolymers FEP has a lower maximum operating temperature of 392°F (200°C). The most common brand names include DuPont Teflon® FEP film and Saint-Gobain Norton® FEP.

PFA perfluoralkoxy PFA was developed by DuPont as a High Temperature Teflon® film with a maximum operation temperature of 500°F (260°C), while maintaining similar properties to other fluoropolymers. Of course this added temperature resistance also adds a significant increase in cost. PFA is a melt-processable thermoplastic with similar chemical resistance to PTFE, but has much lower porosity and is translucent. The most common brand names include DuPont Teflon® PFA film and Saint-Gobain Norton® PFA.

ETFE ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene-copolymer ETFE was developed by DuPont as a Tough Teflon® film with similar hardness compared to nylon, unlike virgin PTFE & FEP. The improvements in stiffness is paid for by reduced chemical resistance and working temperature. The most common brand names include DuPont Tefzel® ETFE and Saint-Gobain Norton® ETFE.

ECTFE ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene ECTFE is a tough fluoroplastic with similar properties to ETFE, but manufactured from Halar® resin resulting in superior chemical resistance. By far ECTFE film provides the highest abrasion resistance and highest dielectric strength of any fluoropolymer film. The most common brand names include Saint-Gobain Norton® ECTFE or Westlake Plastics Co ECTFE made from Halar 300 resin. ECTFE also is known by its resin Halar® manufactured by Solvay Solexis

PVDF polyvinylidene-fluoride PVDF is a high molecular weight thermoplastic polymer. PVDF is a very hard plastic roughly comparable to ECTFE, but relatively inexpensive in comparison to other fluoroplastics. Good chemical resistance, but not as good as ECTFE or ETFE. The most common base resins are Kynar® manufactured by Elf Atochem North America or Solef® manufactured by Solvay S.A.

PVF polyvinyl-fluoride PVF is also a very tough fluoroplastic with limited chemical and temperature resistance. Commonly used as a film in gas sampling bags, solar heating panels, and printing circuit laminating. The most common brand names include DuPont Tedlar® PVF and Saint-Gobain Norton® PVF.

PCTFE polychloro-trifluoroethylene PCTFE films are a line of film-based materials that are derived from high-performance resins and additional components used extensively in barrier applications. PCTFE films can be formulated to optimize a variety of attributes such as chemical resistance, moisture barrier, dielectric strength, thermal stability, optical clarity, coefficient of friction, and adhesion. PCTFE is used extensively in pharmaceutical blister packaging for its chemical and moisture resistant properties where is goes by the trade name Aclar® (Clarus® for industrial applications). Alone, or pre-laminated to materials such as PET, PVC and COC, thick PCTFE films can be thermoformed into a variety of shapes and parts where clarity, moisture barrier, chemical resistance, heat stability, and dielectric properties of the film are not compromised. The most common trade names include Honeywell Aclar® and Honeywell Clarus®.

PEI polyether imide PEI is an amorphous thermoplastic polyetherimide offering outstanding high heat resistance, high strength, modulus and broad chemical resistance. Its balance of properties and processability offers design engineers exceptional flexibility and freedom to innovate. The most common brand name includes GE Plastics ULTEM® or Westlake Plastics Co. Tempalux® Film made from ULTEM® Polyetherimide Resin

PP or PPL polypropylene PP is a lightweight plastic that offers relatively high purity characteristics at a price well below PVDF or PTFE. PP is similar to polyethylene but is lighter and offers even better heat resistance, tensile strength, abrasion resistance, and lower dielectric constant. Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer, used in a wide variety of applications. PP is unusually resistant to many chemical solvents, bases and acids. There are many manufacturers of extruded and blown polypropylene.

PSU polysulfone Polysulfone is a tough, rigid, high-strength thermoplastic with a heat deflection temperature of 343°F (174°C), and maintains its properties over a wide temperature range. Transparent, opaque and glass-fiber reinforced grades of UDEL® resin are available for injection molding into complex parts or extrusion into forms such as rod, film, sheet, profile and tubing. Shapes can be machined for prototype evaluations; film and sheet can be thermoformed on conventional equipment. UDEL® resin can also be blow molded. The most common brand names include Solvay Advanced Polymers UDEL® Resin or Westlake Plastics Co Thermalux® Film made from UDEL® Polysulfone Resin.

PI polyimide A high performance polymer film (amber in color) which combines excellent physical, electrical, and mechanical properties at extreme temperature ranges -269°C to 400°C (-452°F to 752°F). Polyimide film offers good dimensional stability combined with excellent chemical resistance, with no known solvents. PI is used in a wide variety of applications such as substrates for flexible printed circuits, transformer and capacitor insulation and bar code labels. The most common brand names include DuPont Kapton® polyimide film and Westlake Plastics Imidex® polyimide film made from Aurum® polyimide resin. Various grades of Kapton® film are available but only some are true thermoplastic polyimides, including Kapton® JP and Imidex®. Kapton® JP has been designed to give optimum forming characteristics over HN, FN, and other grades (attributes include antistatic, thermally conductive, ptfe coated, cryogenic insulation, corona resistant, etchable or pigmented for color).

PEEK polyetherketone PEEK plastic is a high performance engineering thermoplastic. PEEK offers chemical and water resistance comparable to PPS (PolyPhenyleneSulfide), but can sustain higher temperatures. PEEK plastic excels in hostile environments, able to withstand temperatures of 480 degrees Fahrenheit continuously and in hot water or steam without permanent loss of its physical properties. This makes it a high strength alternative to fluoropolymers. The most common brand name includes Modern Plastic Victrex® PEEK.

High Performance Film Data Sheets
Not finding all the information you're looking for in our data charts, then view the film vendor data sheets for the following in Adobe® Acrobat® *.PDF file format:

   Teflon® FEP Film (Type A & Type L)
   FEP Specification Bulletin H-55003-2
   FEP Properties Bulletin H-55008-2

   Norton® FEP, Type FG; Type FS
   Saint-Gobain FEP

   Teflon® PFA, Type LP Film
   PFA Specification Bulletin E-80143-2
   PFA Properties Bulletin H-04321-2

   Norton® PFA
   Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics PFA

   Tefzel® ETFE, Type LZ Film(CLZ & CLZ-    20)
   ETFE Specification Bulletin E-80420-1

   Norton® ETFE
   Saint-Gobain ETFE

   Kapton® PI, Type JP
   DuPont Specifications H-38479-4
   DuPont Technical Information H-62026-2

   Norton® ECTFE from Halar® resin
   Saint-Gobain ECTFE

   Halar® ECTFE
   Solvay Solexis Halar® ECTFE

   Modified PTFE
   DeWal Industries Modified PTFE DW200
   DeWal Industries Modified PTFE DW220
   DeWal Industries Modified PTFE DW201

   Aclar® PCTFE & Clarus® PCTFE
   Honeywell Aclar® 33C (7.80 mil)

   Tedlar® PVF
   DuPont Technical Information E-47437-1
   DuPont Product Information H-51252-2

   Ultem® PEI
   GE Plastics ULTEM® 1000 resin

   Tempalux® PEI
   Westlake Plastics Tempalux® PEI

   Thermalux® Polysulfone
   Westlake Plastics Thermalux® PSU

DEFINITITIONS
dielectric - An insulating material that separates the elements of various components including capacitors and transmission lines. Dielectric materials include air, plastic, mica, ceramic, and Teflon® film. A dielectric material must be an insulator.

dielectric constant - The ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor with a certain dielectric material to the capacitance with a vacuum as the dielectric. The dielectric constant is considered a measure of the capability of a dielectric material to store an electrostatic charge.

dielectric strength - The potential gradient at which electrical breakdown occurs.