Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
"In chemistry, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that finds numerous applications. PTFE is most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon."
-(CF2– CF2)-
"PTFE is a fluorocarbon solid, as it is a high-molecular-weight compound consisting wholly of carbon and fluorine. PTFE is hydrophobic: neither water and water-containing substances are wet by PTFE, as fluorocarbons demonstrate mitigated London dispersion forces due to the high electronegativity of fluorine. PTFE has one of the lowest coefficients of friction against any solid."
"PTFE is used as a non-stick coating for pans and other cookware. It is very non-reactive, partly because of the strength of carbon–fluorine bonds, and so it is often used in containers and pipework for reactive and corrosive chemicals. Where used as a lubricant, PTFE reduces friction, wear, and energy consumption of machinery."
(Wikipedia, Polytetrafluoroethylene, 11/26/2010)
Filled PTFE Materials
Fluorinated Polymers
Fluorinated Telomers (Oligomers)
Nafion
Polymers /Resins
PTFE Applications
PTFE Coatings
PTFE Copolymers
PTFE Film
PTFE Foams
Recent US Patents
10/26/2010
7,820,775
Tetrafluoroethylene polymer and aqueous dispersion thereof
Kasai et al of Daikin Industries, Japan have developed a tetrafluoroethylene polymer having stretchability and non-melt-processability and having a standard specific gravity of 2.140 to 2.165 by heating to 300 C or higher. (RDC 2/18/2011)
9/7/2010
7,790,817
Process for producing fluoropolymer
Watakabe et al of Asahi Glass, Japan has developed a fluoropolymer by copolymerizing tetrafluoroethylene with a fluoromonomer with a cyclic side group for a fuel cell. (RDC 12/3/2010)
7,790,780
Radically coupled PTFE polymer powders, and method for the production thereof
Lehmann and Kluepfel of the Leibniz Institute, Germany developed radically coupled PTFE polymer powders useful, for example, as tribomaterials. Radically coupled PTFE polymer powders are are added to PTFE for improved wear resistances Thes modified powders are radiation-chemically or plasma-chemically modified PTFE powders with attached homopolymers, copolymers or terpolymers. (RDC 11/30/2010)
7,790,658
Inert wear resistant PTFE-based solid lubricant nanocomposite
Sawyer and Burris of the University of Florida developed a solid lubricant based on PTFE filled with irregularly shaped metal oxide, such as aluminum oxide, nanoparticles. The irregularly shaped nanoparticles provide substantial reductions in steady state wear rate over otherwise similar nanocomposites. (RDC 11/30/2010)
Recent Journal Articles
1/28/2011
Free volume distribution at the Teflon AF®/silicon interfaces probed by a slow positron beam
(505-509) Polymer 52 #2 (2011)
Harms et al used positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy experiments at Teflon AF®/silicon interfaces to determine the free volume hole size distribution in the interfacial region and to investigate the width of the interphase. While no interphase was detected in very short chained solvent-free, thermally evaporated Teflon AF®, an interphase of some tens of nm in extension was observed for high molecular weight spin-coated Teflon AF® films. (RDC 1/27/2011)
12/3/2010
133[2010] Variable surface properties of PTFE foils
e-Polymers(12/8/2010) (138)
[Abstract]
Svorcik et al found that the front and back sides of the foils show different surface morphology and roughness, different values of the ¶-potential and contact angle depending on thickness. The contact angle and the ¶-potential are decreasing functions of the foil thickness. (RDC 12/8/2010)
11/26/2010
A Novel Hydrophilic Modification of PTFE Membranes Using In Situ Deposited PANI
(172 – 178) Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part B - Physics 50 #1 (2011)
Wang et al of Qingdao University of Science and Technology, China prepared a polyaniline/polytetrafluoroethylene membrane by in-situ deposition of polyaniline onto a plasma treated membrane. The resulting membrane showed an enhanced flux in salt water separation, which is up to 75% higher than the pristine membrane. (RDC 11/23/2010)