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Fluorotherm Polymers Inc.
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PTFE is inert to essentially all common chemicals. It is attacked by molten alkali metals, elemental fluorine, and pure oxygen at elevated temperatures. PTFE can also react, under some conditions, with alkaline earth oxides and finely divided metals such as aluminum or magnesium at elevated temperature. Absorption of solvents is noted with some chlorinated and fluorinated liquids containing no hydrogen. Solutions containing 0.1 – 2% PTFE have been obtained in perfluorokerosene in the temperature range 290 – 310 deg C.
Exposure to the following chemicals has been found to have no effect on PTFE:
| INORGANICS | ORGANICS | OTHER |
| Aqua Regia |
Alcohols | Biological Fluids |
| Hydrofluoric Acid | Esters | Fragrances |
| Fuming Sulfuric Acid | Ketones | Food Chemicals |
| Chlorosulfonic Acid | Highly Halogenated Organics | Printing Inks & Dyes |
| Nitric Acid | Amines | Industrial Oils |
| Sodium Hydroxide Solution |
Aromatic Solvents | Oxidizers |
| Chlorine Gas | ||
| Hydrogen Peroxide | ||
| Acid Chlorides |
PFA and FEP are insoluble in all common solvents and are highly resistant to essentially all common chemicals. Like PTFE, however, PFA and FEP are attacked by molten alkali metals, elemental fluorine, and pure oxygen at elevated temperatures. Also, they can react, under some conditions, with alkaline earth oxides oxides and finely divided metals such as aluminum or magnesium at elevated temperature. Solutions containing 0.1 – 2% FEP have been obtained in perfluorokerosene C21F44 (FCX-412) in the temperature range 290 – 310 deg C.
Relative to PTFE, the chemical resistance of ETFE, although still excellent, is somewhat reduced. The introduction of ethylene comonomer provides ETFE with far superior mechanical properties compared to PTFE and to a lesser extent to FEP and PFA, including cut through and abrasion resistance.
The chemical resistance of PVDF is not as broad as PTFE, PFA, FEP and MFA but it is resistant to most inorganic and organic chemicals. It is however, especially sensitive to attack by amines. Good solvents for PVDF are dimethyl acetamide, dimethyl formamide, hexamethyl phosphoramide, and dimethyl sulfoxide. Some highly polar solvents such as ketones and ethers are absorbed. PVDF swells in acetone.
A typical ranking by
relative chemical resistance is as follows:
(Source: Ruetgers Nease Chemical Company, 1990)
PTFE -1
FEP -1
PFA -1
ECTFE -2
PVDF – 3
Ranking is on a scale of 1 (best) to 7 (worst)
PFA and FEP are inert to a host of chemicals, including acids, bases, metal salt solutions, and organic chemicals. Aromatic and aliphatic compounds, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ethers, amines, esters and chlorinated compounds have little effect. The exceptions are alkali metals and elemental fluorine; which attack PFA and FEP as they do other fluoropolymers.
MFA exhibits the same level of chemical inertness as its cousin, PFA. It is resistant to many common chemicals, including oxidizing acids, mineral acids, bases, metal salt solutions, and peroxides. Like PFA, MFA also resists attack by anhydrides, hydrocarbons, functional aromatics, esters, ethers, ketones and amines.
The chemical resistance of ECTFE is not as universal as PTFE, FEP or PFA, MFA. It is susceptible to attack by some organic chemicals such as diacetone alcohol, acetone, benzene, liquid bromine, butyl acetate, chlorobenzene and chlorosulfonic acid above certain temperatures. ECTFE is compatible with a range of chemicals, however chemical compatibility must be verified before use or specification for an application. No known solvent causes stress cracking in ECTFE at temperatures up to 250 deg F (120 deg C).
For data on specific chemical compatibility of a fluoropolymer, contact the resin manufacturer listed on the Overview of Fluoropolymers page.
