PTFE, PFA, FEP, PVDF Fluoroplastic products industry experts
Customer Witness
What are the characteristics of DanKai Technology’s fluoroplastic pipes?
I. Introduction to Dan Kai
Dankai, Shenzhen Dankai Technology Co., Ltd., is a national high-tech enterprise and a specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprise. As a direct-source manufacturer, we are industry experts in PTFE, PFA, FEP, and PVDF fluoropolymer products, offering integrated solutions that encompass R&D, production, sales, and service as a professional supplier.
II. What is Fluoroplastic?
Fluoroplastics refer to plastics made from fluoropolymers. The main types include polytetrafluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene–ethylene copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene–hexafluoropropylene copolymer, and trifluorochloroethylene–ethylene copolymer, among others.
Due to the presence of fluorine atoms in their molecular structure, fluoroplastics exhibit a wide range of outstanding properties, including excellent electrical insulation, exceptional thermal stability, superior oil resistance, resistance to solvents and abrasion, as well as good moisture resistance and low-temperature performance. Consequently, fluoroplastics play a crucial role in various industrial sectors, such as national defense, electromechanical engineering, metallurgy, and petrochemicals.
III. What are the common types of fluoroplastic pipes?
Fluoroplastic pipes generally include PTFE pipe, FEP pipe, PFA pipe, PVDF pipe, and PCTFE pipe, among others.
PTFE tubing, marketed under brand names such as “Teflon,” “TeFlon,” “Teflon,” “Teflon,” and “4F,” is a perfluorinated polymer produced via free-radical polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene. It features a linear molecular structure with repeating –CF2–CF2– units, making it a crystalline polymer with a melting point of approximately 631°F and a density of 2.13–2.19 g/cm³. PTFE exhibits outstanding chemical resistance, a dielectric constant of 2.1, and a low dissipation factor, remaining stable over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. Its mechanical properties remain excellent from cryogenic temperatures up to 550 V.
FEP tubing is produced by copolymerizing tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene. FEP has a crystalline melting point of 580°F and a density of 2.15 g/cm³; it is a flexible plastic whose tensile strength, wear resistance, and creep resistance are lower than those of many engineering plastics. It is chemically inert and exhibits a low dielectric constant (2.1) over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. The material is non-flammable and can inhibit flame spread. It also boasts excellent weather resistance and a low coefficient of friction, making it suitable for use from cryogenic temperatures up to 392°F. FEP can be formulated into granular products for extrusion and molding, as a powder for fluidized-bed and electrostatic coating applications, or as an aqueous dispersion. Semi-finished forms include films, sheets, rods, and monofilaments. On the U.S. market, FEP is marketed under brands such as DuPont’s Teflon, Daikin’s Neoflo, and Hoechst Celanese’s IHoustaflow.
PFA tubing: PFA is a modified form of polytetrafluoroethylene that can withstand temperatures up to 260°C. Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) resin is a relatively new fluoroplastic that can be melt-processed. PFA has a melting point of approximately 580°F and a density of 2.13–2.16 g/cm³. While PFA shares similarities with PTFE and FEP, its mechanical properties are slightly superior to those of FEP above 302°C, and it can be used at temperatures as high as 500°F. Its chemical resistance is comparable to that of PTFE. PFA is available in granular form for molding and extrusion, as well as in powder form for rotational molding and coatings; semi-finished products include films, sheets, rods, and tubes.
PVDF pipe, known in Chinese as polyvinylidene fluoride pipe, is a semi-transparent polymer material with an oxygen index of 46% and a density of 1.75–1.78 g/cm³. It is widely used in the petrochemical industry, electronics and electrical engineering, steel plant pickling processes, and the transportation of acidic and alkaline solutions. The material features a tightly packed molecular chain arrangement and a crystallinity of 65%–78%, with a long-term service temperature range of –40°C to 150°C.
PVDF piping exhibits excellent resistance to acids, bases, and strong oxidizing agents at room temperature, along with high mechanical strength, outstanding wear and creep resistance, and superior impact performance. It is non-combustible and demonstrates exceptional resistance to climatic aging, enabling long-term outdoor service without the need for maintenance while effectively withstanding UV radiation, nuclear radiation, and ozone attack. Jointing is accomplished via hot-melt butt fusion and hot-melt socket fusion.
PCTFE tubing: PCTFE is the product of free-radical polymerization of trifluorochloroethylene, characterized by a predominantly linear main chain composed of repeating units. PCTFE is a crystalline polymer with a melting point of 425°F and a density of 2.13.
PCTFE is inert to most reactive chemicals at room temperature, but above 212°C it can be dissolved by a few solvents and swelled by others, particularly chlorinated solvents. PCTFE exhibits excellent gas-barrier properties, with its film products having the lowest water-vapor transmission rate among all transparent plastic films.
IV. Characteristics of Fluoroplastic Pipes
Fluoroplastic tubing is a high-performance pipe material made from fluorinated polymers such as PTFE, FEP, and PFA, and it exhibits the following notable characteristics:
- Excellent corrosion resistance: It exhibits high chemical inertness toward the vast majority of acids, bases, salts, organic solvents, and strong oxidizing agents (such as concentrated nitric acid and aqua regia), reacting only at elevated temperatures with elemental fluorine, alkali metals, or certain halogenated compounds.
- Wide operating temperature range:
- PTFE tubing: -180°C to +260°C (long-term use up to 250°C);
- FEP tubing: -80°C to +200°C (with short-term tolerance up to approximately 220°C);
- PFA tubing: -80°C to +260°C (short-term peak approaching 300°C).
- Low coefficient of friction and non-stick properties: With an extremely low surface tension of approximately 18–22 mN/m, the coefficient of friction is only 0.05–0.2, one of the lowest among solids, making it highly resistant to adhesion of media or deposition of contaminants.
- High transparency (particularly pronounced in FEP): DanKai FEP tubing achieves a transparency of over 92% at 450 nm blue light, facilitating easy observation of fluid conditions; PFA ranges from semi-transparent to highly transparent, while PTFE is typically milky white and opaque.
- Excellent electrical insulation performance: the dielectric constant remains stable at around 2.1, and the volume resistivity exceeds 10¹⁸ Ω·m, maintaining stability across a wide frequency and temperature range.
- Aging resistance and non-combustibility: Exhibits the best weathering resistance among plastics, with an oxygen index greater than 95%, classifying it as a non-combustible material.
- Smooth inner wall: reduces fluid resistance, lowers energy consumption, prevents clogging, and is suitable for conveying high-purity or scale-prone media.
DANKAI is a nationally recognized High-Tech and Specialized, Sophisticated, and Novel enterprise. As an industry expert in PTFE, PFA, FEP, and PVDF fluoropolymer products, DANKAI is a comprehensive professional supplier integrating R&D, manufacturing, sales, and service.
This article is originally written by the Teflon Tube Lady. Follow us to learn something new together!
Key words:
Previous Page
Previous Page
Dankai Technology
Address: Area B, 4th Floor, Building 1, North Yongfa Science and Technology Park, Yanchuan North, Chaoyang Road, Songgang Town, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China
Tel: +86-755-29979617 23127719 23127819
E-mail: dkt@szdankai.com
Focus on us
Copyright©2024 All rights reserved of Shenzhen Dankai Technology Co., Ltd.
