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{{Redirect|Teflon}}
DANIEL ARROYO ESTUVO AKA
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2012}}
{{chembox
<!-- please see [[Polytetrafluoroethylene (data page)]] for the full transcluded template. -->
| Verifiedfields = changed
| Watchedfields = changed
| verifiedrevid = 477171888
| ImageFile = Teflon structure.PNG
| ImageSize = 130px
| ImageFile1 = Perfluorodecyl-chain-from-xtal-Mercury-3D-balls.png
| ImageSize1 = 250px
| IUPACName = poly(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethylene)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ebi.ac.uk/chebi/searchId.do?chebiId=53251 | title=poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (CHEBI:53251) | accessdate=July 12, 2012|work=ebi.ac.uk}}</ref>
| SystematicName =
| OtherNames = Syncolon, Fluon, Poly(tetrafluoroethene), Poly(difluoromethylene), Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)
|Section1={{Chembox Identifiers
| Abbreviations = PTFE
| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|changed|chemspider}}
| ChemSpiderID = none
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
| ChEBI_Ref = {{ebicite|changed|EBI}}
| ChEBI = 53251
| PubChem =
| CASNo = 9002-84-0
| KEGG_Ref = {{keggcite|changed|kegg}}=
| KEGG = D08974}}
|Section2={{Chembox Properties
| Formula = (C<sub>2</sub>F<sub>4</sub>)<sub>n</sub>
| Density = 2200 kg/m<sup>3</sup>
| MeltingPt = 600&nbsp;[[Kelvin|K]]<br />327&nbsp;°[[Celsius|C]]
| ThermalConductivity = 0.25&nbsp;W/(m·K)
}}
|Section7={{Chembox Hazards
| NFPA-H = 1
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'''Polytetrafluoroethylene''' ('''PTFE''') is a synthetic [[fluoropolymer]] of [[tetrafluoroethylene]] that has numerous applications. The best known brand name of PTFE-based formulas is '''Teflon''' by [[Chemours]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web
| url = https://www.chemours.com/Teflon/en_US/
| title = Teflon ™{{!}} Chemours Teflon™ Nonstick Coatings and Additives
| website = www.chemours.com
| access-date = 2016-03-01
}}</ref> Chemours is a [[Corporate spin-off|spin-off]] of [[DuPont Co.]],<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://investors.dupont.com/investor-relations/investor-news/investor-news-details/2015/DuPont-Completes-Spin-off-of-The-Chemours-Company/default.aspx
| title = DuPont - DuPont Completes Spin-off of The Chemours Company
| website = investors.dupont.com
| access-date = 2016-03-01
}}</ref> which discovered the compound in 1938.<ref name=":0" />

PTFE is a [[fluorocarbon]] solid, as it is a high-[[molecular weight|molecular-weight]] compound consisting wholly of [[carbon]] and [[fluorine]]. PTFE is [[hydrophobic]]: neither water nor water-containing substances wet PTFE, as fluorocarbons demonstrate mitigated [[London dispersion force]]s due to the high [[electronegativity]] of fluorine. PTFE has one of the lowest coefficients of [[friction]] of 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 bond]]s, 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. It is commonly used as a graft material in surgical interventions. Also, it is frequently employed as [[coating]] on [[catheter]]s; this interferes with the ability of bacteria and other infectious agents to adhere to catheters and cause [[hospital-acquired infection]]s.

== History ==
{{external media | width = 210px | align = right | headerimage= | audio1 = [http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/distillations/160-teflon.aspx "From stove tops to outer space... Teflon touches every one of us some way almost every day."], Roy Plunkett, [[Chemical Heritage Foundation]]}}
[[File:EL-1994-00019.jpeg|thumb|220px|Teflon thermal cover showing impact craters, from NASA's [[Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment]] (UHCRE)]]

PTFE was accidentally discovered in 1938 by [[Roy Plunkett]] while he was working in New Jersey for DuPont. As Plunkett attempted to make a new [[chlorofluorocarbon]] refrigerant, the [[tetrafluoroethylene]] gas in its pressure bottle stopped flowing before the bottle's weight had dropped to the point signaling "empty." Since Plunkett was measuring the amount of gas used by weighing the bottle, he became curious as to the source of the weight, and finally resorted to sawing the bottle apart. He found the bottle's interior coated with a waxy white material that was oddly slippery. Analysis showed that it was polymerized perfluoroethylene, with the iron from the inside of the container having acted as a catalyst at high pressure. Kinetic Chemicals patented the new fluorinated plastic (analogous to the already known [[polyethylene]]) in 1941,<ref>{{Cite patent|inventor-last = Plunkett|inventor-first = Roy J|inventorlink = Roy Plunkett|issue-date = 4 February 1941|title = Tetrafluoroethylene polymers|country-code = US|patent-number = 2230654}}</ref> and registered the Teflon trademark in 1945.<ref name="fluoroboom">{{cite news|title = History Timeline 1930: The Fluorocarbon Boom|url= http://www2.dupont.com/Refrigerants/en_US/sales_support/history_1930.html|accessdate =10 June 2009|publisher=''DuPont''}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title = Roy Plunkett: 1938|url = http://www2.dupont.com/Heritage/en_US/1938_dupont/1938_indepth.html|accessdate =10 June 2009}}</ref>

By 1948, DuPont, which founded Kinetic Chemicals in partnership with [[General Motors]], was producing over two million pounds (900 tons) of Teflon brand PTFE per year in [[Parkersburg, West Virginia]].<ref>''[[American Heritage of Invention & Technology]]'', Fall 2010, vol. 25, no. 3, p. 42</ref> An early use was in the [[Manhattan Project]] as a material to coat valves and seals in the pipes holding highly reactive [[uranium hexafluoride]] at the vast [[K-25]] [[enriched uranium|uranium enrichment]] plant in [[Oak Ridge, Tennessee]].<ref name = "rhodes">
{{Cite book|last = Rhodes|first = Richard|authorlink = Richard Rhodes
| title = The Making of the Atomic Bomb|publisher = Simon and Schuster
| year = 1986|location = New York, New York|page = 494
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=aSgFMMNQ6G4C&printsec=frontcover
| accessdate =31 October 2010|isbn = 0-671-65719-4}}</ref>

In 1954, the wife of French engineer Marc Grégoire urged him to try the material he had been using on fishing tackle on her cooking pans. He subsequently created the first Teflon-coated, non-stick pans under the brandname [[Tefal]] (combining "Tef" from "Teflon" and "al" from aluminum).<ref name="history">"[http://web.archive.org/web/20080214150646/http://home.nycap.rr.com/useless/teflon/index.html Teflon History ]", ''home.nycap.rr.com'', Retrieved 25 January 2009.</ref> In the United States, [[Marion A. Trozzolo]], who had been using the substance on scientific utensils, marketed the first US-made Teflon-coated pan, "The Happy Pan", in 1961.<ref name="intofire">Robbins, William (21 December 1986) "[https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/21/us/teflon-maker-out-of-frying-pan-into-fame.html Teflon Maker: Out Of Frying Pan Into Fame ]", ''[[New York Times]]'', Retrieved 21 December 1986 (Subscription)</ref>

However, Tefal was not the only company to utilize PTFE in nonstick cookware coatings. In subsequent years, many cookware manufacturers developed proprietary PTFE-based formulas, including [[Swiss Diamond International]], which uses a diamond-reinforced PTFE formula;<ref>[https://www.swissdiamond.com/about-us/our-nonstick-technology Swiss Diamond Technology] Swiss Diamond International</ref> Scanpan, which uses a titanium-reinforced PTFE formula;<ref>[http://scanpan.eu/en-GB/About-SCANPAN/Made-in-Denmark.aspx About SCANPAN] SCANPAN</ref> and both [[All-Clad]]<ref>[http://www.all-clad.com/Pages/Customer%20Service/faqs.aspx FAQ's] "Is Nonstick Safe," All-Clad FAQ</ref> and [[Newell Rubbermaid]]'s Calphalon, which use a non-reinforced PTFE-based nonstick.<ref>[http://www.calphalon.com/Product-Support/Pages/FAQs.aspx FAQ's] "Does your cookware contain Teflon®?" Calphalon FAQ</ref> Other cookware companies, such as [[Meyer Corporation]]'s Anolon, use Teflon<ref>[http://meyer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/189/kw/nonstick%20coating%20made%20of Knowledge Base] Analon</ref> nonstick coatings purchased from DuPont.

In the 1990s, it was found that PTFE could be radiation [[cross-linked]] above its melting point in an oxygen-free environment.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/0969-806X(94)90226-7 |title=Modification of polytetrafluoroethylene by radiation—1. Improvement in high temperature properties and radiation stability|author= Sun, J.Z.|journal=Radiat. Phys. Chem. |year=1994|pages= 655–679|volume=44|issue=6|display-authors=etal}}</ref> [[Electron beam processing]] is one example of radiation processing. Cross-linked PTFE has improved high-temperature mechanical properties and radiation stability. This was significant because, for many years, irradiation at ambient conditions has been used to break down PTFE for recycling.<ref>[http://www.e-beamservices.com/chain.htm Electron Beam Processing of PTFE] E-BEAM Services website. Accessed May 21, 2013</ref> This radiation-induced [[chain scission]] allows it to be more easily reground and reused.

== Production ==
PTFE is produced by [[free-radical]] [[polymerization]] of tetrafluoroethylene. The net equation is
: ''n'' F<sub>2</sub>C=CF<sub>2</sub> → −(F<sub>2</sub>C−CF<sub>2</sub>)<sub>''n''</sub>−
Because tetrafluoroethylene can explosively decompose to tetrafluoromethane and carbon, special apparatus is required for the polymerization to prevent hot spots that might initiate this dangerous side reaction. The process is typically initiated with [[persulfate]], which homolyzes to generate sulfate radicals:
:[O<sub>3</sub>SO−OSO<sub>3</sub>]<sup>2−</sup> ⇌ 2 SO<sub>4</sub>•<sup>−</sup>
The resulting polymer is terminated with [[sulfate ester]] groups, which can be hydrolyzed to give OH [[end-group]]s.<ref name=Ullmann>Carlson, D. Peter and Schmiegel, Walter (2000) "Fluoropolymers, Organic" in ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'', Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. {{DOI|10.1002/14356007.a11_393}}</ref>

Because PTFE is poorly soluble in almost all solvents, the polymerization is conducted as an emulsion in water. This process gives a suspension of polymer particles. Alternatively, the polymerization is conducted using a surfactant such as [[PFOS]].

== Properties ==
[[File:Blintzes in frying pan.jpg|thumb|right|PTFE is often used to coat [[non-stick pan]]s as it is [[hydrophobic]] and possesses fairly high heat resistance.]]
[[File:Happy Pan Poster.jpg|thumb|Advertisement of the Happy Pan, a Teflon-coated pan from the 1960s]]

PTFE is a [[thermoplastic]] [[polymer]], which is a white solid at room temperature, with a density of about 2200&nbsp;kg/m<sup>3</sup>. According to DuPont, its melting point is {{convert|600|K}}.<ref name=dupont>[http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon_Industrial/en_US/tech_info/techinfo_compare.html Fluoropolymer Comparison – Typical Properties] Retrieved 10 September 2006.</ref> It maintains high strength, toughness and self-lubrication at low temperatures down to {{convert|5|K}}, and good flexibility at temperatures above {{convert|194|K}}.<ref name=ptfe_handbook>[http://www.rjchase.com/ptfe_handbook.pdf Teflon PTFE Properties Handbook] Retrieved 11 October 2012.</ref> PTFE gains its properties from the aggregate effect of [[carbon-fluorine bond]]s, as do all fluorocarbons. The only chemicals known to affect these carbon-fluorine bonds are highly reactive metals like the [[alkali metal]]s, and at higher temperatures also such metals as aluminium and magnesium, and fluorinating agents such as [[xenon difluoride]] and [[cobalt(III) fluoride]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080704112712/http://www.plastechcoatings.com/dupont_teflon_coating.html DuPont Teflon® Coatings]. plastechcoatings.com</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Property
! Value
|-
| Density
| 2200&nbsp;kg/m<sup>3</sup>
|-
| [[Glass transition temperature|Glass temperature]]
| 388&nbsp;K <ref>{{cite book | title=The Chemistry of Polymers | publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry | author=Nicholson, John W. | year=2011 | page=50 | isbn=9781849733915 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XFsT69cX_YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=polymer+chemistry#v=onepage&q=polymer%20chemistry&f=false | edition=4, Revised}}</ref>
|-
| [[Melting point]]
| 600&nbsp;K
|-
| [[Thermal expansion]]
| 112–125&nbsp;·&nbsp;10<sup>−6</sup>&nbsp;K<sup>−1</sup> <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.engineershandbook.com/Tables/plasticthermalexp.htm|title=Reference Tables – Thermal Expansion Coefficients – Plastics|work=engineershandbook.com}}</ref>
|-
| [[Thermal diffusivity]]
| 0.124&nbsp;mm{{sup|2}}/s <ref>{{cite journal|author1=Blumm, J. |author2=Lindemann, A. |author3=Meyer, M. |author4=Strasser, C. | title= Characterization of PTFE Using Advanced Thermal Analysis Technique |journal= [[International Journal of Thermophysics]]| volume=40 |issue=3–4 |page=311 | year= 2011|doi= 10.1007/s10765-008-0512-z |bibcode = 2010IJT....31.1919B }}</ref>
|-
| [[Young's modulus]]
| 0.5&nbsp;GPa
|-
| [[Yield strength]]
| 23&nbsp;MPa
|-
| Bulk resistivity
| 10<sup>16</sup>&nbsp;Ω·m <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedia/PTFE.cfm|title= PTFE|work=Microwaves101}}</ref>
|-
| Coefficient of friction
| 0.05–0.10
|-
| [[Dielectric constant]]
| {{nowrap|ε {{=}} 2.1}}, {{nowrap|tan(δ) < 5(-4)}}
|-
| Dielectric constant (60&nbsp;Hz)
| {{nowrap|ε {{=}} 2.1}}, {{nowrap|tan(δ) < 2(-4)}}
|-
| [[Dielectric strength]] (1&nbsp;MHz)
| 60&nbsp;MV/m
|-
| [[Magnetic Susceptibility]] (SI, 22&nbsp;°C)
| −10.28×10<sup>−6</sup> <ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wapler|first1=M. C.|last2=Leupold|first2=J.|last3=Dragonu|first3=I.|last4=von Elverfeldt|first4=D.|last5=Zaitsev|first5=M.|last6=Wallrabe|first6=U.|title=Magnetic properties of materials for MR engineering, micro-MR and beyond|journal=JMR|date=2014|volume=242|pages=233–242|doi=10.1016/j.jmr.2014.02.005}}</ref>
|}
The [[coefficient of friction]] of plastics is usually measured against polished steel.<ref>[http://www.matweb.com/reference/coefficient-of-friction.asp Coefficient of Friction (COF) Testing of Plastics] MatWeb Material Property Data Retrieved 1 January 2007.</ref> PTFE's coefficient of friction is 0.05 to 0.10,<ref name=dupont/> which is the third-lowest of any known solid material ([[Aluminium magnesium boride|BAM]] being the first, with a coefficient of friction of 0.02; [[diamond-like carbon]] being second-lowest at 0.05). PTFE's resistance to [[van der Waals force]]s means that it is the only known surface to which a [[gecko]] cannot stick.<ref name="gecko">"[http://web.archive.org/web/20071014063923/http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~peattiea/research_main.html Research into Gecko Adhesion ]", ''[[University of California, Berkeley|Berkeley]]'', 2007-10-14, Retrieved 8 April 2010.</ref> In fact, PTFE can be used to prevent insects climbing up surfaces painted with the material. PTFE is so slippery that insects cannot get a grip and tend to fall off. For example, PTFE is used to prevent ants climbing out of [[formicarium|formicaria]].

Because of its chemical inertness, PTFE cannot be [[cross-link]]ed like an [[elastomer]]. Therefore, it has no "memory" and is subject to [[creep (deformation)|creep]]. Because of its superior chemical and thermal properties, PTFE is often used as a gasket material. However, because of the propensity to creep, the long-term performance of such seals is worse than for elastomers which exhibit zero, or near-zero, levels of creep. In critical applications, [[Belleville washer]]s are often used to apply continuous force to PTFE gaskets, ensuring a minimal loss of performance over the lifetime of the gasket.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sealing.com/fileadmin/docs/Using_Bellville_springs_to_maintain_bolt_preload.pdf|title=Using Belleville Springs To Maintain Bolt Preload|last=Davet|first=George P.|work=Solon Mfg. Co.|accessdate=18 May 2014}}</ref>

== Applications and uses ==
{{refimprove|date=June 2016}}
The major application of PTFE, consuming about 50% of production, is for wiring in aerospace and computer applications (e.g. hookup wire, coaxial cables). This application exploits the fact that PTFE has excellent [[dielectric]] properties. This is especially true at high [[radio frequency|radio frequencies]], making it suitable for use as an [[Electrical insulation|insulator]] in [[cable]]s and [[electrical connector|connector]] assemblies and as a material for [[printed circuit board]]s used at [[microwave]] frequencies. Combined with its high melting temperature, this makes it the material of choice as a high-performance substitute for the weaker and lower-melting-point [[polyethylene]] commonly used in low-cost applications.

In industrial applications, owing to its low friction, PTFE is used for applications where sliding action of parts is needed: [[plain bearing]]s, [[gear]]s, [[slide plate]]s, etc. In these applications, it performs significantly better than [[nylon]] and [[polyoxymethylene|acetal]]; it is comparable to [[ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene]] (UHMWPE). Although UHMWPE is more resistant to wear than PTFE, for these applications, versions of PTFE with mineral oil or [[molybdenum disulfide]] embedded as additional [[lubricant]]s in its matrix are being manufactured.
Its extremely high bulk [[resistivity]] makes it an ideal material for fabricating long-life [[electret]]s, useful devices that are the [[electrostatic]] analogues of [[magnet]]s.

PTFE film is also widely used in the production of carbon fiber composites as well as fiberglass composites, notably in the aerospace industry. PTFE film is used as a barrier between the carbon or fiberglass part being built, and breather and bagging materials used to incapsulate the bondment when debulking (vacuum removal of air from between layers of laid-up plies of material) and when curing the composite, usually in an autoclave. The PTFE, used here as a film, prevents the non-production materials from sticking to the part being built, which is sticky due to the carbon-graphite or fiberglass plies being pre-pregnated with bismaleimide resin. Non-production materials such as Teflon, Airweave Breather and the bag itself would be considered F.O.D. (foreign object debris/damage) if left in layup.

Because of its extreme non-reactivity and high temperature rating, PTFE is often used as the liner in hose assemblies, [[expansion joint#Pipe expansion joints|expansion joint]]s, and in industrial pipe lines, particularly in applications using acids, alkalis, or other chemicals. Its frictionless qualities allow improved flow of highly viscous liquids, and for uses in applications such as brake hoses.

[[Gore-Tex]] is a material incorporating a fluoropolymer membrane with micropores. The roof of the [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]] in [[Minneapolis]], US, was one of the largest applications of PTFE coatings. {{convert|20|acre|m2}} of the material was used in the creation of the white double-layered PTFE-coated fiberglass dome.

===Other===
PTFE (Teflon) is best known for its use in coating non-stick [[frying pan]]s and other cookware, as it is [[hydrophobic]] and possesses fairly high heat resistance.

[[File:PTFE tapes with pressure-sensitive adhesive backing, rolls of 15 and 25 mm widths.jpg|thumb|right|PTFE tapes with pressure-sensitive adhesive backing]]

The sole plates of some clothes irons are coated with PTFE (Teflon).<ref>[http://pratique.leparisien.fr/fiches-pratiques/electromenager/repassage/fers-a-repasser-semelle-teflon-1600004600043011#xtref=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.fr%252F Fers à repasser semelle teflon - Fiche pratique - Le Parisien]. Pratique.leparisien.fr. Retrieved on 2016-11-17.</ref>

===Niche===
PTFE is a versatile material that is found in many niche applications:
*It is often found in ski bindings as a non-mechanical AFD (Anti-Friction Device)
*It can be stretched to contain small pores of varying sizes and is then placed between fabric layers to make a waterproof, breathable fabric in outdoor apparel.<ref name=gore>{{cite web |url=https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/news/a-motorcyclists-guide-to-gore-tex/119 |title=A Motorcyclist's Guide To Gore-Tex|publisher=Infinity Motorcycles}}</ref>
*It is used widely as a fabric protector to repel stains on formal school-wear, like uniform blazers.<ref name=CutterAndTailor>{{cite web|url=http://www.cutterandtailor.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=852|title=Advantages and Disadvantages of Teflon-coated Covert Cloth|work=The Cutter and Tailor}}</ref>
*It is used as a film interface patch for sports and medical applications, featuring a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing, which is installed in strategic high friction areas of footwear, insoles, [[ankle-foot orthosis]], and other medical devices to prevent and relieve friction-induced blisters, calluses and foot ulceration.<ref name=FilmInterfacePatch>{{cite web |url=http://www.oandp.org/jpo/library/popup.asp?xmlpage=2006_04_093&type=image&id=f11 |title=Film Interface Patch |publisher=American Academy of Orthotists & Prosthetists}}</ref>
*Expanded PTFE membranes have been used in trials to assist [[trabeculectomy]] surgery to treat glaucoma.<ref name=wang>{{cite journal |vauthors=Wang X, Khan R, Coleman A |title= Device-modified trabeculectomy for glaucoma |journal=Cochrane Database Syst Rev |volume=12 |pages= CD010472 |date=2015 |pmid= 26625212 |doi= 10.1002/14651858.CD010472.pub2}}</ref>
*Powdered PTFE is used in [[pyrotechnic composition]]s as an [[oxidizer]] with powdered metals such as [[aluminium]] and [[magnesium]]. Upon ignition, these mixtures form carbonaceous [[soot]] and the corresponding metal [[fluoride]], and release large amounts of heat. They are used in [[infrared decoy flare]]s and as [[igniter]]s for [[solid-fuel rocket]] [[propellant]]s.<ref name=koch>{{cite journal|author=Koch, E.-C. |title=Metal-Fluorocarbon Pyrolants:III. Development and Application of Magnesium/Teflon/Viton|journal=[[Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics]] |year=2002|volume=27|pages=262–266|
doi=10.1002/1521-4087(200211)27:5<262::AID-PREP262>3.0.CO;2-8
| issue=5}}</ref> Aluminium and PTFE is also used in some [[thermobaric]] fuel compositions.
*In optical [[radiometry]], sheets of PTFE are used as measuring heads in spectroradiometers and broadband radiometers (e.g., [[illuminance]] meters and [[Ultraviolet|UV]] [[radiometer]]s) due to PTFE's capability to diffuse a transmitting light nearly perfectly. Moreover, optical properties of PTFE stay constant over a wide range of wavelengths, from UV down to near [[infrared]]. In this region, the relation of its regular transmittance to diffuse transmittance is negligibly small, so light transmitted through a [[diffuser (optics)|diffuser]] (PTFE sheet) radiates like [[Lambert's cosine law]]. Thus PTFE enables cosinusoidal angular response for a detector measuring the power of optical radiation at a surface, e.g. in solar [[irradiance]] measurements.
*Certain types of bullets are coated with PTFE to reduce wear on firearms's rifling that harder projectiles would cause. PTFE itself does not give a projectile an armor-piercing property.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.guncite.com/ktwint.html|title=Interview with an inventor of the KTW bullet|journal=NRAction newsletter|volume =4|issue =5 |date=May 1990}}</ref>
*Its high corrosion resistance makes PTFE useful in laboratory environments, where it is used for lining containers, as a coating for magnetic stirrers, and as tubing for highly corrosive chemicals such as [[hydrofluoric acid]], which will dissolve glass containers. It is used in containers for storing [[fluoroantimonic acid]], a [[superacid]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/08/the-worlds-strongest-acids.html |title=The World's Strongest Acids: Like Fire and Ice |last=Pomeroy |first=Ross |date=2013-08-24 |accessdate=2016-04-09 }}</ref>
*PTFE tubes are used in gas-gas heat exchangers in gas cleaning of waste incinerators. Unit power capacity is typically several megawatts.
*PTFE is widely used as a [[thread seal tape]] in plumbing applications, largely replacing paste thread dope.
*PTFE membrane filters are among the most efficient industrial air filters. PTFE-coated filters are often used in [[dust collection system]]s to collect [[aerosol|particulate matter]] from air streams in applications involving high temperatures and high particulate loads such as coal-fired power plants, cement production and steel foundries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baghouse.com/2012/05/28/industrial-air-permits-new-clean-air-regulations-and-baghouses/|title=Industrial Air Permits - New Clean Air Regulations And Baghouses|publisher=Baghouse.com}}</ref>
*PTFE grafts can be used to bypass [[stenosis|stenotic]] [[artery|arteries]] in peripheral vascular disease if a suitable autologous [[vein]] graft is not available.
* Many bicycle lubricants contain PTFE and are used on chains and other moving parts.
* PTFE can also be used for [[dental fillings]], to isolate the contacts of the anterior tooth so the filling materials will not stick to the adjacent tooth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dentistrytoday.com/restorative-134/1864--sp-1460991174|title=Using Plumber's Teflon Tape to Enhance Bonding Procedures|author=Dennis E. Brown, DDS|work=Dentistry Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape as a matrix in operative dentistry.|last=Dunn|first=WJ|display-authors=etal|work=Operative Dentistry|pmid=15279489|volume=29|pages=470–2}}</ref>
* PTFE sheets are used in the production of [[butane hash oil]] due to its non-stick properties and resistance to non-polar solvents.<ref>{{cite book |title=Beyond Buds |first=Ed |last=Rosenthal |publisher=Quick American Archives |edition=Revised |date=October 21, 2014 |isbn=1936807238}}</ref>
* PTFE, associated with a slightly textured laminate, makes the plain bearing system of a [[Dobsonian telescope]].

== Safety ==
[[Pyrolysis]] of PTFE is detectable at {{convert|200|C}}, and it evolves several [[fluorocarbon]] gases and a [[Sublimation (phase transition)|sublimate]]. An animal study conducted in 1955 concluded that it is unlikely that these products would be generated in amounts significant to health at temperatures below {{convert|250|C}}.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Zapp JA, Limperos G, Brinker KC |title= Toxicity of pyrolysis products of 'Teflon' tetrafluoroethylene resin |journal= Proceedings of the American Industrial Hygiene Association Annual Meeting |date=26 April 1955}}</ref>

While PTFE is stable and nontoxic at lower temperatures, it begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about {{convert|260|C}}, and decomposes above {{convert|350|C}}.<ref>{{cite web|title = Polytetrafluouroethylene: PTFE Sheets & PTFE Coatings from Porex|url = http://www.porex.com/technologies/materials/porous-plastics/polytetrafluoroethylene/|website = www.porex.com|access-date = 2016-01-21}}</ref> The degradation by-products can be lethal to [[bird]]s,<ref>{{cite news|publisher=DuPont|title=Key Safety Questions About Teflon Nonstick Coatings|url=http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon/en_US/products/safety/key_questions.html#q6|accessdate=28 November 2014}}</ref> and can cause [[flu-like symptoms]]<ref>{{cite web|publisher=DuPont|url=http://www2.dupont.com/Teflon/en_US/products/safety/key_questions.html#q5|title=Key Safety Questions about the Safety of Nonstick Cookware}}</ref> in humans—see [[polymer fume fever]].

Meat is usually fried between {{convert|204| and |232|C|F}}, and most oils start to [[smoke point|smoke]] before a temperature of {{convert|260|C|F}} is reached, but there are at least two cooking oils (refined [[safflower oil]] at 265&nbsp;°C (510&nbsp;°F) and [[avocado oil]] at 271&nbsp;°C (520&nbsp;°F)) that have a higher [[smoke point]].

The [[Environmental Working Group]] recommends against using dental floss made with PTFE.<ref>[http://static.ewg.org/reports/2015/poisoned_legacy/EWG_Guide_to_PFCs.pdf?_ga=1.166834366.1019815085.1471707424 EWG's Guide to avoiding PFCs]. ewg.org</ref> They state that "Exposure to [[Perfluorinated compound|PFC]]s has been associated with kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, abnormal thyroid hormone levels, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, obesity and low birth weight . . . . PFCs pollute water, are persistent in the environment and remain in the body for years. Leading manufacturers of PFCs have agreed to phase out some of these chemicals by the end of 2015, including PFOA, the most notorious, which used to be a key ingredient in making Teflon. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that the chemicals that have replaced PFOA are much safer."

=== PFOA ===
{{Main|Perfluorooctanoic acid}}
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, or C8) has been used as a [[surfactant]] in the [[emulsion polymerization]] of PTFE, although several manufacturers have entirely discontinued its use.
PFOA persists indefinitely in the environment. It is a [[toxicant]] and [[carcinogen]] in animals. PFOA has been detected in the blood of more than 98% of the general US population in the low and sub-[[parts per billion]] range, and levels are higher in chemical plant employees and surrounding subpopulations. The general population has been exposed to PFOA through massive dumping of C8 waste into the ocean and near the Ohio River Valley.<ref name="NYTmagazine">{{cite news|last1=RIch|first1=Nathaniel|title=The Lawyer Who Became Dupont's Worst Nightmare|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html|website=The New York Times Magazine|accessdate=7 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=Blake>{{cite web|last1=Blake|first1=Mariah|title=Welcome to Beautiful Parkersburg, West Virginia Home to one of the most brazen, deadly corporate gambits in U.S. history.|url=http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/welcome-to-beautiful-parkersburg/|website=Huffington Post|accessdate=31 August 2015}}</ref> PFOA has been detected in industrial waste, stain resistant carpets, carpet cleaning liquids, [[house dust]], [[Popcorn bag|microwave popcorn bags]], water, food and Teflon cookware.

As a result of a class-action lawsuit and community settlement with [[DuPont]], three [[Epidemiology|epidemiologists]] conducted studies on the population surrounding a chemical plant that was exposed to PFOA at levels greater than in the general population. The studies concluded that there was probably an association between PFOA exposure and six health outcomes: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, [[ulcerative colitis]], thyroid disease, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), and pregnancy-induced hypertension.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Nicole | first1 = W. | title = PFOA and Cancer in a Highly Exposed Community: New Findings from the C8 Science Panel | doi = 10.1289/ehp.121-A340 | journal = Environmental Health Perspectives | volume = 121 | issue = 11–12 | pages = A340 | year = 2013 | pmid = 24284021| pmc = }}</ref>

Overall, PTFE cookware is considered an insignificant exposure pathway to PFOA.<ref>{{cite journal
|vauthors=Trudel D, Horowitz L, Wormuth M, Scheringer M, Cousins IT, Hungerbühler K | title=Estimating consumer exposure to PFOS and PFOA
| journal=Risk Anal.
| volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=251–69 |date=April 2008
| pmid=18419647 |doi=10.1111/j.1539-6924.2008.01017.x}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/kitchen/cookware-bakeware-cutlery/nonstick-pans-6-07/overview/0607_pans_ov_1.htm
| title=Nonstick pans: Nonstick coating risks |work=Consumer Reports |accessdate=4 July 2009}}</ref>

== Similar polymers ==
[[File:PFA structure.PNG|thumb|Teflon is also used as the trade name for a polymer with similar properties, perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin (PFA)]]

The Teflon trade name is also used for other polymers with similar compositions:

* [[Perfluoroalkoxy alkane]] (PFA)
* [[Fluorinated ethylene propylene]] (FEP)

These retain the useful PTFE properties of low friction and nonreactivity, but are more easily formable. For example, FEP is softer than PTFE and melts at {{convert|533|K}}; it is also highly transparent and resistant to sunlight.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20100724195156/http://www.texloc.com/closet/cl_fep_properties.htm FEP Detailed Properties], Parker-TexLoc, 13 April 2006. Retrieved 10 September 2006.</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Magnesium/Teflon/Viton]] pyrolant thermite composition
* [[Polymer adsorption]]
* [[Polymer fume fever]]
* [[BS 4994]] PTFE as a thermoplastic lining for dual laminate chemical process plant equipment
{{Clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite journal
| last = Ellis
| first = D.A.
| last2 = Mabury
| first2 = S.A.
| last3 = Martin
| first3 = J.W.
| last4 = Muir
| first4 = D.C.G. |author5=Mabury, S.A. |author6=Martin, J.W. |author7=Muir, D.C.G.
| year = 2001
| title = Thermolysis of fluoropolymers as a potential source of halogenated organic acids in the environment
| journal = Nature
| volume = 412
| issue = 6844
| pages = 321–324
| doi = 10.1038/35085548
| pmid = 11460160
}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8408729/ EPA: Compound in Teflon may cause cancer] [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8404384], Tom Costello, NBC News, 29 June 2005. (Flash video required)
* [http://www.plasmatechsystems.com/about/pubs/Plasma%20Processes%20Polytetrafluoroethylene.pdf Plasma Processes and Adhesive Bonding of Polytetrafluoroethylene]
* [http://fluorotherm.com/Properties-PTFE.asp PTFE Tubing Properties]

{{HealthIssuesOfPlastics}}
{{DuPont}}
{{Plastics}}

<!-- Place all category tags here -->

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polytetrafluoroethylene}}
[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Biomaterials]]
[[Category:Dielectrics]]
[[Category:Dry lubricants]]
[[Category:DuPont]]
[[Category:DuPont products]]
[[Category:Fluorocarbons]]
[[Category:Fluoropolymers]]
[[Category:Plastics]]
[[Category:Pyrotechnic oxidizers]]
[[Category:Roofing materials]]

Revision as of 08:25, 24 February 2017

Polytetrafluoroethylene
Names
IUPAC name
poly(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethylene)[1]
Other names
Syncolon, Fluon, Poly(tetrafluoroethene), Poly(difluoromethylene), Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)
Identifiers
Abbreviations PTFE
ChEBI
ChemSpider
  • none
ECHA InfoCard 100.120.367 Edit this at Wikidata
KEGG
Properties
(C2F4)n
Density 2200 kg/m3
Melting point 600 K
327 °C
Thermal conductivity 0.25 W/(m·K)
Hazards
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 1: Exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury. E.g. turpentineFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 0: Normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water. E.g. liquid nitrogenSpecial hazards (white): no code
1
0
0
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
☒N verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. The best known brand name of PTFE-based formulas is Teflon by Chemours.[2] Chemours is a spin-off of DuPont Co.,[3] which discovered the compound in 1938.[2]

PTFE is a fluorocarbon solid, as it is a high-molecular-weight compound consisting wholly of carbon and fluorine. PTFE is hydrophobic: neither water nor water-containing substances wet PTFE, as fluorocarbons demonstrate mitigated London dispersion forces due to the high electronegativity of fluorine. PTFE has one of the lowest coefficients of friction of 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. It is commonly used as a graft material in surgical interventions. Also, it is frequently employed as coating on catheters; this interferes with the ability of bacteria and other infectious agents to adhere to catheters and cause hospital-acquired infections.

History

External audio
audio icon "From stove tops to outer space... Teflon touches every one of us some way almost every day.", Roy Plunkett, Chemical Heritage Foundation
Teflon thermal cover showing impact craters, from NASA's Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment (UHCRE)

PTFE was accidentally discovered in 1938 by Roy Plunkett while he was working in New Jersey for DuPont. As Plunkett attempted to make a new chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant, the tetrafluoroethylene gas in its pressure bottle stopped flowing before the bottle's weight had dropped to the point signaling "empty." Since Plunkett was measuring the amount of gas used by weighing the bottle, he became curious as to the source of the weight, and finally resorted to sawing the bottle apart. He found the bottle's interior coated with a waxy white material that was oddly slippery. Analysis showed that it was polymerized perfluoroethylene, with the iron from the inside of the container having acted as a catalyst at high pressure. Kinetic Chemicals patented the new fluorinated plastic (analogous to the already known polyethylene) in 1941,[4] and registered the Teflon trademark in 1945.[5][6]

By 1948, DuPont, which founded Kinetic Chemicals in partnership with General Motors, was producing over two million pounds (900 tons) of Teflon brand PTFE per year in Parkersburg, West Virginia.[7] An early use was in the Manhattan Project as a material to coat valves and seals in the pipes holding highly reactive uranium hexafluoride at the vast K-25 uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.[8]

In 1954, the wife of French engineer Marc Grégoire urged him to try the material he had been using on fishing tackle on her cooking pans. He subsequently created the first Teflon-coated, non-stick pans under the brandname Tefal (combining "Tef" from "Teflon" and "al" from aluminum).[9] In the United States, Marion A. Trozzolo, who had been using the substance on scientific utensils, marketed the first US-made Teflon-coated pan, "The Happy Pan", in 1961.[10]

However, Tefal was not the only company to utilize PTFE in nonstick cookware coatings. In subsequent years, many cookware manufacturers developed proprietary PTFE-based formulas, including Swiss Diamond International, which uses a diamond-reinforced PTFE formula;[11] Scanpan, which uses a titanium-reinforced PTFE formula;[12] and both All-Clad[13] and Newell Rubbermaid's Calphalon, which use a non-reinforced PTFE-based nonstick.[14] Other cookware companies, such as Meyer Corporation's Anolon, use Teflon[15] nonstick coatings purchased from DuPont.

In the 1990s, it was found that PTFE could be radiation cross-linked above its melting point in an oxygen-free environment.[16] Electron beam processing is one example of radiation processing. Cross-linked PTFE has improved high-temperature mechanical properties and radiation stability. This was significant because, for many years, irradiation at ambient conditions has been used to break down PTFE for recycling.[17] This radiation-induced chain scission allows it to be more easily reground and reused.

Production

PTFE is produced by free-radical polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene. The net equation is

n F2C=CF2 → −(F2C−CF2)n

Because tetrafluoroethylene can explosively decompose to tetrafluoromethane and carbon, special apparatus is required for the polymerization to prevent hot spots that might initiate this dangerous side reaction. The process is typically initiated with persulfate, which homolyzes to generate sulfate radicals:

[O3SO−OSO3]2− ⇌ 2 SO4

The resulting polymer is terminated with sulfate ester groups, which can be hydrolyzed to give OH end-groups.[18]

Because PTFE is poorly soluble in almost all solvents, the polymerization is conducted as an emulsion in water. This process gives a suspension of polymer particles. Alternatively, the polymerization is conducted using a surfactant such as PFOS.

Properties

PTFE is often used to coat non-stick pans as it is hydrophobic and possesses fairly high heat resistance.
Advertisement of the Happy Pan, a Teflon-coated pan from the 1960s

PTFE is a thermoplastic polymer, which is a white solid at room temperature, with a density of about 2200 kg/m3. According to DuPont, its melting point is 600 K (327 °C; 620 °F).[19] It maintains high strength, toughness and self-lubrication at low temperatures down to 5 K (−268.15 °C; −450.67 °F), and good flexibility at temperatures above 194 K (−79 °C; −110 °F).[20] PTFE gains its properties from the aggregate effect of carbon-fluorine bonds, as do all fluorocarbons. The only chemicals known to affect these carbon-fluorine bonds are highly reactive metals like the alkali metals, and at higher temperatures also such metals as aluminium and magnesium, and fluorinating agents such as xenon difluoride and cobalt(III) fluoride.[21]

Property Value
Density 2200 kg/m3
Glass temperature 388 K [22]
Melting point 600 K
Thermal expansion 112–125 · 10−6 K−1 [23]
Thermal diffusivity 0.124 mm2/s [24]
Young's modulus 0.5 GPa
Yield strength 23 MPa
Bulk resistivity 1016 Ω·m [25]
Coefficient of friction 0.05–0.10
Dielectric constant ε = 2.1, tan(δ) < 5(-4)
Dielectric constant (60 Hz) ε = 2.1, tan(δ) < 2(-4)
Dielectric strength (1 MHz) 60 MV/m
Magnetic Susceptibility (SI, 22 °C) −10.28×10−6 [26]

The coefficient of friction of plastics is usually measured against polished steel.[27] PTFE's coefficient of friction is 0.05 to 0.10,[19] which is the third-lowest of any known solid material (BAM being the first, with a coefficient of friction of 0.02; diamond-like carbon being second-lowest at 0.05). PTFE's resistance to van der Waals forces means that it is the only known surface to which a gecko cannot stick.[28] In fact, PTFE can be used to prevent insects climbing up surfaces painted with the material. PTFE is so slippery that insects cannot get a grip and tend to fall off. For example, PTFE is used to prevent ants climbing out of formicaria.

Because of its chemical inertness, PTFE cannot be cross-linked like an elastomer. Therefore, it has no "memory" and is subject to creep. Because of its superior chemical and thermal properties, PTFE is often used as a gasket material. However, because of the propensity to creep, the long-term performance of such seals is worse than for elastomers which exhibit zero, or near-zero, levels of creep. In critical applications, Belleville washers are often used to apply continuous force to PTFE gaskets, ensuring a minimal loss of performance over the lifetime of the gasket.[29]

Applications and uses

The major application of PTFE, consuming about 50% of production, is for wiring in aerospace and computer applications (e.g. hookup wire, coaxial cables). This application exploits the fact that PTFE has excellent dielectric properties. This is especially true at high radio frequencies, making it suitable for use as an insulator in cables and connector assemblies and as a material for printed circuit boards used at microwave frequencies. Combined with its high melting temperature, this makes it the material of choice as a high-performance substitute for the weaker and lower-melting-point polyethylene commonly used in low-cost applications.

In industrial applications, owing to its low friction, PTFE is used for applications where sliding action of parts is needed: plain bearings, gears, slide plates, etc. In these applications, it performs significantly better than nylon and acetal; it is comparable to ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Although UHMWPE is more resistant to wear than PTFE, for these applications, versions of PTFE with mineral oil or molybdenum disulfide embedded as additional lubricants in its matrix are being manufactured. Its extremely high bulk resistivity makes it an ideal material for fabricating long-life electrets, useful devices that are the electrostatic analogues of magnets.

PTFE film is also widely used in the production of carbon fiber composites as well as fiberglass composites, notably in the aerospace industry. PTFE film is used as a barrier between the carbon or fiberglass part being built, and breather and bagging materials used to incapsulate the bondment when debulking (vacuum removal of air from between layers of laid-up plies of material) and when curing the composite, usually in an autoclave. The PTFE, used here as a film, prevents the non-production materials from sticking to the part being built, which is sticky due to the carbon-graphite or fiberglass plies being pre-pregnated with bismaleimide resin. Non-production materials such as Teflon, Airweave Breather and the bag itself would be considered F.O.D. (foreign object debris/damage) if left in layup.

Because of its extreme non-reactivity and high temperature rating, PTFE is often used as the liner in hose assemblies, expansion joints, and in industrial pipe lines, particularly in applications using acids, alkalis, or other chemicals. Its frictionless qualities allow improved flow of highly viscous liquids, and for uses in applications such as brake hoses.

Gore-Tex is a material incorporating a fluoropolymer membrane with micropores. The roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, US, was one of the largest applications of PTFE coatings. 20 acres (81,000 m2) of the material was used in the creation of the white double-layered PTFE-coated fiberglass dome.

Other

PTFE (Teflon) is best known for its use in coating non-stick frying pans and other cookware, as it is hydrophobic and possesses fairly high heat resistance.

PTFE tapes with pressure-sensitive adhesive backing

The sole plates of some clothes irons are coated with PTFE (Teflon).[30]

Niche

PTFE is a versatile material that is found in many niche applications:

  • It is often found in ski bindings as a non-mechanical AFD (Anti-Friction Device)
  • It can be stretched to contain small pores of varying sizes and is then placed between fabric layers to make a waterproof, breathable fabric in outdoor apparel.[31]
  • It is used widely as a fabric protector to repel stains on formal school-wear, like uniform blazers.[32]
  • It is used as a film interface patch for sports and medical applications, featuring a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing, which is installed in strategic high friction areas of footwear, insoles, ankle-foot orthosis, and other medical devices to prevent and relieve friction-induced blisters, calluses and foot ulceration.[33]
  • Expanded PTFE membranes have been used in trials to assist trabeculectomy surgery to treat glaucoma.[34]
  • Powdered PTFE is used in pyrotechnic compositions as an oxidizer with powdered metals such as aluminium and magnesium. Upon ignition, these mixtures form carbonaceous soot and the corresponding metal fluoride, and release large amounts of heat. They are used in infrared decoy flares and as igniters for solid-fuel rocket propellants.[35] Aluminium and PTFE is also used in some thermobaric fuel compositions.
  • In optical radiometry, sheets of PTFE are used as measuring heads in spectroradiometers and broadband radiometers (e.g., illuminance meters and UV radiometers) due to PTFE's capability to diffuse a transmitting light nearly perfectly. Moreover, optical properties of PTFE stay constant over a wide range of wavelengths, from UV down to near infrared. In this region, the relation of its regular transmittance to diffuse transmittance is negligibly small, so light transmitted through a diffuser (PTFE sheet) radiates like Lambert's cosine law. Thus PTFE enables cosinusoidal angular response for a detector measuring the power of optical radiation at a surface, e.g. in solar irradiance measurements.
  • Certain types of bullets are coated with PTFE to reduce wear on firearms's rifling that harder projectiles would cause. PTFE itself does not give a projectile an armor-piercing property.[36]
  • Its high corrosion resistance makes PTFE useful in laboratory environments, where it is used for lining containers, as a coating for magnetic stirrers, and as tubing for highly corrosive chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid, which will dissolve glass containers. It is used in containers for storing fluoroantimonic acid, a superacid.[37]
  • PTFE tubes are used in gas-gas heat exchangers in gas cleaning of waste incinerators. Unit power capacity is typically several megawatts.
  • PTFE is widely used as a thread seal tape in plumbing applications, largely replacing paste thread dope.
  • PTFE membrane filters are among the most efficient industrial air filters. PTFE-coated filters are often used in dust collection systems to collect particulate matter from air streams in applications involving high temperatures and high particulate loads such as coal-fired power plants, cement production and steel foundries.[38]
  • PTFE grafts can be used to bypass stenotic arteries in peripheral vascular disease if a suitable autologous vein graft is not available.
  • Many bicycle lubricants contain PTFE and are used on chains and other moving parts.
  • PTFE can also be used for dental fillings, to isolate the contacts of the anterior tooth so the filling materials will not stick to the adjacent tooth.[39][40]
  • PTFE sheets are used in the production of butane hash oil due to its non-stick properties and resistance to non-polar solvents.[41]
  • PTFE, associated with a slightly textured laminate, makes the plain bearing system of a Dobsonian telescope.

Safety

Pyrolysis of PTFE is detectable at 200 °C (392 °F), and it evolves several fluorocarbon gases and a sublimate. An animal study conducted in 1955 concluded that it is unlikely that these products would be generated in amounts significant to health at temperatures below 250 °C (482 °F).[42]

While PTFE is stable and nontoxic at lower temperatures, it begins to deteriorate after the temperature of cookware reaches about 260 °C (500 °F), and decomposes above 350 °C (662 °F).[43] The degradation by-products can be lethal to birds,[44] and can cause flu-like symptoms[45] in humans—see polymer fume fever.

Meat is usually fried between 204 and 232 °C (399 and 450 °F), and most oils start to smoke before a temperature of 260 °C (500 °F) is reached, but there are at least two cooking oils (refined safflower oil at 265 °C (510 °F) and avocado oil at 271 °C (520 °F)) that have a higher smoke point.

The Environmental Working Group recommends against using dental floss made with PTFE.[46] They state that "Exposure to PFCs has been associated with kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, abnormal thyroid hormone levels, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, obesity and low birth weight . . . . PFCs pollute water, are persistent in the environment and remain in the body for years. Leading manufacturers of PFCs have agreed to phase out some of these chemicals by the end of 2015, including PFOA, the most notorious, which used to be a key ingredient in making Teflon. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that the chemicals that have replaced PFOA are much safer."

PFOA

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, or C8) has been used as a surfactant in the emulsion polymerization of PTFE, although several manufacturers have entirely discontinued its use. PFOA persists indefinitely in the environment. It is a toxicant and carcinogen in animals. PFOA has been detected in the blood of more than 98% of the general US population in the low and sub-parts per billion range, and levels are higher in chemical plant employees and surrounding subpopulations. The general population has been exposed to PFOA through massive dumping of C8 waste into the ocean and near the Ohio River Valley.[47][48] PFOA has been detected in industrial waste, stain resistant carpets, carpet cleaning liquids, house dust, microwave popcorn bags, water, food and Teflon cookware.

As a result of a class-action lawsuit and community settlement with DuPont, three epidemiologists conducted studies on the population surrounding a chemical plant that was exposed to PFOA at levels greater than in the general population. The studies concluded that there was probably an association between PFOA exposure and six health outcomes: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), and pregnancy-induced hypertension.[49]

Overall, PTFE cookware is considered an insignificant exposure pathway to PFOA.[50][51]

Similar polymers

Teflon is also used as the trade name for a polymer with similar properties, perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin (PFA)

The Teflon trade name is also used for other polymers with similar compositions:

These retain the useful PTFE properties of low friction and nonreactivity, but are more easily formable. For example, FEP is softer than PTFE and melts at 533 K (260 °C; 500 °F); it is also highly transparent and resistant to sunlight.[52]

See also

References

  1. ^ "poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (CHEBI:53251)". ebi.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Teflon ™| Chemours Teflon™ Nonstick Coatings and Additives". www.chemours.com. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  3. ^ "DuPont - DuPont Completes Spin-off of The Chemours Company". investors.dupont.com. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  4. ^ US 2230654, Plunkett, Roy J, "Tetrafluoroethylene polymers", issued 4 February 1941 
  5. ^ "History Timeline 1930: The Fluorocarbon Boom". DuPont. Retrieved 10 June 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Roy Plunkett: 1938". Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  7. ^ American Heritage of Invention & Technology, Fall 2010, vol. 25, no. 3, p. 42
  8. ^ Rhodes, Richard (1986). The Making of the Atomic Bomb. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 494. ISBN 0-671-65719-4. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  9. ^ "Teflon History ", home.nycap.rr.com, Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  10. ^ Robbins, William (21 December 1986) "Teflon Maker: Out Of Frying Pan Into Fame ", New York Times, Retrieved 21 December 1986 (Subscription)
  11. ^ Swiss Diamond Technology Swiss Diamond International
  12. ^ About SCANPAN SCANPAN
  13. ^ FAQ's "Is Nonstick Safe," All-Clad FAQ
  14. ^ FAQ's "Does your cookware contain Teflon®?" Calphalon FAQ
  15. ^ Knowledge Base Analon
  16. ^ Sun, J.Z.; et al. (1994). "Modification of polytetrafluoroethylene by radiation—1. Improvement in high temperature properties and radiation stability". Radiat. Phys. Chem. 44 (6): 655–679. doi:10.1016/0969-806X(94)90226-7.
  17. ^ Electron Beam Processing of PTFE E-BEAM Services website. Accessed May 21, 2013
  18. ^ Carlson, D. Peter and Schmiegel, Walter (2000) "Fluoropolymers, Organic" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a11_393
  19. ^ a b Fluoropolymer Comparison – Typical Properties Retrieved 10 September 2006.
  20. ^ Teflon PTFE Properties Handbook Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  21. ^ DuPont Teflon® Coatings. plastechcoatings.com
  22. ^ Nicholson, John W. (2011). The Chemistry of Polymers (4, Revised ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 50. ISBN 9781849733915.
  23. ^ "Reference Tables – Thermal Expansion Coefficients – Plastics". engineershandbook.com.
  24. ^ Blumm, J.; Lindemann, A.; Meyer, M.; Strasser, C. (2011). "Characterization of PTFE Using Advanced Thermal Analysis Technique". International Journal of Thermophysics. 40 (3–4): 311. Bibcode:2010IJT....31.1919B. doi:10.1007/s10765-008-0512-z.
  25. ^ "PTFE". Microwaves101.
  26. ^ Wapler, M. C.; Leupold, J.; Dragonu, I.; von Elverfeldt, D.; Zaitsev, M.; Wallrabe, U. (2014). "Magnetic properties of materials for MR engineering, micro-MR and beyond". JMR. 242: 233–242. doi:10.1016/j.jmr.2014.02.005.
  27. ^ Coefficient of Friction (COF) Testing of Plastics MatWeb Material Property Data Retrieved 1 January 2007.
  28. ^ "Research into Gecko Adhesion ", Berkeley, 2007-10-14, Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  29. ^ Davet, George P. "Using Belleville Springs To Maintain Bolt Preload" (PDF). Solon Mfg. Co. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  30. ^ Fers à repasser semelle teflon - Fiche pratique - Le Parisien. Pratique.leparisien.fr. Retrieved on 2016-11-17.
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Further reading

  • Ellis, D.A.; Mabury, S.A.; Martin, J.W.; Muir, D.C.G.; Mabury, S.A.; Martin, J.W.; Muir, D.C.G. (2001). "Thermolysis of fluoropolymers as a potential source of halogenated organic acids in the environment". Nature. 412 (6844): 321–324. doi:10.1038/35085548. PMID 11460160.