A fluoropolymer is a fluorocarbon based polymer with multiple strong carbon–fluorine bonds. It is characterized by a high resistance to solvents, acids, and bases.

Fluoropolymers were accidentally discovered in 1938 by Dr. Roy J. Plunkett when he was polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene to form polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or more commonly known by the DuPont trademark Teflon^[1]). Fluoropolymers share the properties of fluorocarbons in that they are not as susceptible to the van der Waals force as hydrocarbons. This contributes to their non-stick and friction reducing properties. Also, they are stable due to the stability multiple carbon–fluorine bonds add to a chemical compound. Fluoropolymers may be mechanically characterized as thermosets or thermoplastics. They are often applied to manufactured metal parts by electrostatic powder coating, or attached in large sheets with epoxy to line the interior of large metal and non-metal containers.

Examples of fluoropolymers:

• PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), sold by DuPont under the tradename Teflon; sold by Solvay Solexis under the tradenames Algoflon and Polymist
• PFA (perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin), sold by DuPont under the tradename Teflon. Hyflon^[2]
• FEP (fluorinated ethylene-propylene), sold by DuPont under the tradename Teflon
• ETFE polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene(Tefzel^[3]), (Fluon^[4] )
• PVF polyvinylfluoride Tedlar^[5]
• ECTFE polyethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene Halar^[6]
• PVDF polyvinylidene fluoride (Kynar^[7] Solef^[8] Hylar^[9]
• PCTFE (Kel-F, CTFE) polychlorotrifluoroethylene
• FFKM (Kalrez^[10]. Tecnoflon^[11]
• FPM/FKM (Viton^[12], Tecnoflon FKM)
• PFPE Perfluoropolyether Fomblin^[13] Galden^[14])
• Nafion

[edit] See also

• Organofluorine
• Organohalogen

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Introduction to fluoropolymers
• Chemical Resistance of Fluoropolymers
• Uses and Safety