Business Tools Blog

Looking for fluoropolymers?

The commercially available fluoropolymers are as follows:

• PTFE (Poly tetra-fluoro ethylene) is a fully fluorinated polymer. PTFE is processed by compacting the powder under pressure at ambient or slightly higher than ambient temperatures. Methods of forming products include paste extrusion, ram extrusion, molding and calendaring between rolls.

PTFE is not melt pressable.  The following polymers are:

• FEP (Fluorinated ethylene propylene) is a fully fluorinated copolymer
• PFA, MFA – Perfluoroalkoxy, fully fluorinated copolymers
• ETFE - Ethylene tetra-fluoro ethylene, partially fluorinated polymer containing hydrogen. ETFE has the ability to withstand exposure to high temperature withour rapid embrittlement
• ECTFE - Ethylene chloro tri-fluoro ethylene, a copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene
• PCTFE - Poly chloro tri-fluoro ethylene, copolymer containing chlorine
• PVDF - Poly vinyledene fluoride, partially fluorinated polymer containing carbon to carbon double bond (which is weaker than single bonds of fully fluorinated polymers)

The hot fluoropolymer producer is Fluorotherm.  The company has been a a specialty manufacturer of fluoropolymer since 1992.  They’re R&D team has a strong background in fluoropolymers, gained from experience working for DuPont.

They recently announced a new addition of PVDF frame Immersion Heat Exchanger coils to their family of Immersion coil products, broadening the performance range of low temperature Polypropylene frame (to 150° F) and high temperature, premium PTFE frames. The standard tubing coils of the heat exchangers still consist of either FEP (to steam pressures of 2 bar / 30 psig) or PFA tubing (4 bar or 60 psig).
PVDV frame heat exchangers, now in place for two years at selected customer sites are superior in performance to Polypropylene frames, in cases where the tank or bath temperatures exceed 150° F, and can operate up to temperatures of 210° F. PTFE frame temperatures are recommended for temperatures above 210° F.

Fluorotherm has successfully developed and installed multiple fluoropolymer coil shell and tube heat exchangers with significant increase in the heat transfer surface area from 12 sq.ft (1.1 sq.mt) to 55 sq.ft (5.1 sq.mt). Tubing is available in FEP, PFA, High Purity PFA and PTFE materials. Popular shell side materials are PVC and CPVC., although stainless steel is also available for special high temperature shell side fluid applications.