Who invented ptfe

PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and is known for being one of the most versatile plastics available. Being hydrophobic, non-wetting, high density and resistant to high temperatures, PTFE is an incredibly versatile material, probably best-known for its non-stick properties. The key properties that Virgin PTFE is widely known for it's extreme chemical resistance, thermal stability, electrical insulation and it's very low coefficient of friction.

Glass fibre is used as a PTFE filler as it offers much improved compression and wear properties. Carbon filled PTFE provides good thermal conductivity, low permeability and is also electrically conductive. Stainless Steel Filled PTFE is extremely hard wearing, has excellent strength and stability under extreme loads and elevated temperatures.

O ur technical experts can quickly tell you what PTFE solution is best for your project. This guide explains the coating procedure from start to finish, as performed by our expert engineers. The versatility of Teflon coatings allows for almost unlimited application to a wide variety of part sizes and configurations, always adding value far beyond the inherent non-stick qualities.

Specifically developed for use at elevated temperatures and for prolonged use at elevated temperatures, AF retains its key physical properties to temperatures 30OC higher than standard AF Virgin PEEK.

VICTREX PEEK has a wider range of processing options, is lighter and more durable than many metal counterparts, and as such makes an effective and cost efficient replacement for metals. Through melt processing PCTFE resin can be modified to give different mechanical and optical properties by controlling the crystalinity of the material. Our polyurethane materials range from shore A hardness 57 to 95 and are all Hydrolysis resistant — often referred to as H-PU.

FEP coatings Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene Copolymer melt and flow during baking to provide smooth non-stick, non-porous films with excellent abrasion resistance.

PFA Perfluoroalkoxy coatings melt and flow during baking to provide non-porous films and increased permeation resistance. The resins within these coatings are the toughest within the fluoropolymer range and can be applied at film builds up to 1, micrometers.

We are experts in precision engineering plastics with an unrivalled level of ability. One of our main strengths is the vast range of fluoropolymer materials we have available. We can even work with you to create a bespoke material that's ideal for your application. For nearly 80 years our everyday lives have been improved by a resin called polytetrafluoroethylene , or PTFE. Discovered completely by accident on 6th April by DuPont chemist, Dr. Roy Plunkett whilst trying to invent a better coolant gas.

After leaving a batch of gas overnight he arrived in the morning to find the gas had polymerized spontaneously, leaving a slippery, waxy solid, with remarkable properties.

Impenetrable to corrosive acids, excellent performance in extreme high and low temperatures and did not dissolve in solvents. Plunkett and his assistant, Jack Rebok, were experimenting with one such potential alternative refrigerant, tetrafluorethylene TFE. Plunkett subsequently created around pounds of TFE and stored the gas in small cylinders.

On April 6, , upon opening the valve on one of the pressurized cylinders of TFE that had previously been frozen, nothing came out, even though by its weight, it seemed to still be full. Plunkett and Jack Rebok then decided to investigate further by cutting the cylinder open. Once they managed to get it open, they discovered that the TFE gas inside had polymerized into a waxy white powder, polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE resin.

Ever the scientist, Plunkett then proceeded to run tests on this new substance to see if it had any unique or useful properties. Four of the most important properties of this substance discovered were that it was extremely slippery one of the slipperiest substances known to man , non-corrosive, chemically stable, and that it had an extremely high melting point.

Plunkett was then promoted and transferred to a separate division that produced tetraethyl, used to boost gasoline octane levels. Three years later, the process and name of Teflon were patented and trademarked. He and his assistant sawed the tank in half, and the inside of the tank was coated with the same slippery stuff. The material had polymerized. Deciding to examine the waxy substance, Plunkett put it under some tests. He later told his wife that he was initially disappointed, thinking the experiment a complete flop.

When he made a decision to test the material anyhow, he attacked it with a vengeance. He heated and froze it. Then he began digging in the cupboard to find chemicals to check its other properties.

In addition to being slippery, the glob was unfazed by other powerful chemicals, and unchanged by searing acids. The best part though, came after he dipped a plastic rod covered with the stuff into an acid.

The rod dissolved in the corrosive material but did not change the white waxy coating. It also had a low surface friction so it would not stick to anything. DuPont christened it Teflon and trademarked it in Plunkett was awarded the patent for it in Almost half of the market uses a PTFE-coating for its nonstick material.

Smaller pieces of the market are produced using other materials like ceramic, aluminum or enameled cast iron [4]. The structure of these molecules is what makes PTFE uniquely slippery [5]. Fluorine is an incredibly electronegative element which causes it to attract electrons from Carbon. In PTFE, this makes for an incredibly strong bond between atoms that is highly resistant to breaking or combining with other molecules. Individual molecules organize side-by-side into a long chain. In this chain, outward-facing Fluorine atoms repel almost all materials that come into close contact.

This is what makes the surface of Teflon so incredibly slippery [6]. Teflon is physically fastened to the surface of a pan, sort of like velcro. A manufacturer will etch tiny abrasions in the surface of a pan by sandblasting or applying chemicals. Teflon is then baked into the cracks. PFOA is also known by the trade name C8. It was used to keep PTFE from clumping during production [6]. PFOA has been around since the s, and there is significant evidence to show that it persists in the environment and our human bodies.

In the early s, several studies were published suggesting that PFOA exposure leads to long-term health risks including possible links to testicular, kidney, thyroid, prostate, bladder and ovarian cancer. In addition to impacting humans, several studies show that low level exposure to PFOA causes developmental problems and liver damage to animals. Recent research published in The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry also suggests that these materials are crossing the blood brain barrier of some mammals such as polar bears in Greenland.

For a substance that has only recently caught public attention, PFOA is incredibly widespread. It can be found at low levels in the soil and groundwater on every continent. In the US, the Center for Disease Control CDC runs a health and nutritional survey each year which examines a nationally representative sample of 5, people.