Teflon™ FEP Fluoropolymer Resins
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Teflon™ FEP Fluoropolymer Resins Product and Properties Handbook Teflon™ FEP Fluoropolymer Resins Table of Contents Introduction . 3 Commercially Available Products . 3 Specifications . 3 General Properties of Teflon™ FEP . 3 Typical Properties of Teflon™ FEP . 3 Mechanical Properties . 3 Tensile Properties . 4 Flexural Modulus . 4 Compressive Stress . 5 Creep and Cold Flow . 5 Apparent Modulus of Elasticity . 5 Stress Relaxation . 5 Poisson’s Ratio . 9 Fatigue Resistance . 9 Impact Resistance . 9 Hardness . 10 Friction . 10 Thermal Properties . 10 Electrical Properties . 11. Chemical Resistance . 11 Absorption . 11 Permeability . 11 Weathering . 11 Cryogenic Service . .11 Mildew Resistance . 13 FDA Compliance . 13 Optical Properties . 13 Fabrication Techniques . 13 Forming and Fabrication . 14 Choose Correct Working Speeds . 14 Properly Shape and Use Tools . 14 Rules for Dimensioning and Finishing . 15 Closer Tolerances . 15 Measuring Tolerances . 15 Surface Finishes . 15 Safety Precautions . 15 2 Teflon™ FEP Fluoropolymer Resins Introduction Specifications Teflon™ FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene) is The ASTM material specification covering Teflon™ FEP chemically a copolymer of hexafluoropropylene fluoropolymer resin is D2116. Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer and tetrafluoroethylene. It differs from PTFE resin is also called out in various industrial and military (polytetrafluoroethylene) resins, in that it is melt- specifications for tubing, molded parts, and film, as well as processible using conventional injection molding and numerous wire and cable applications. screw extrusion techniques. Teflon™ PFA is a resin very ™ similar to Teflon™ FEP in use, but Teflon™ PFA can be used General Properties of Teflon FEP at even higher temperatures. Teflon™ FEP can be described as a fluoropolymer resin having most of the excellent physical, chemical, and Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer resin can be made into articles electrical properties of Teflon™ PTFE fluoropolymer resin, having a combination of mechanical, chemical, electrical, but with the ability to be processed using conventional temperature, and friction-resisting properties unmatched thermoplastics processing equipment. The upper by articles made of any other material. continuous use temperature is 205 °C (401 °F). Teflon™ The design and engineering data presented in this FEP fluoropolymer resin is satisfactorily used in cryogenic publication are intended to assist end users in service at temperatures well below that of liquid nitrogen. determining where and how Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer It is normally inert to liquid oxygen (LOX) when the surfaces resin may best be used. As with other products, it is are free of any contamination, pigmentation, or fillers. recommended that design engineers work closely with an Resistance to chemicals is excellent as is weathering experienced fabricator because the method of fabrication resistance. may markedly affect not only production costs, but also This combination of properties and processibility make the properties of the finished article. Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer resin the preferred product in All properties presented in this handbook should be applications, such as valve and pump linings, pipe liners, considered typical values and are not to be used for release applications, or similar uses, where resistance specification purposes. to chemicals at elevated temperatures is essential or serviceability at extremely low temperatures is desired. Commercially Available Products Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer resin is available in pellet form Typical Properties of Teflon™ FEP for general-purpose molding and extrusion. The highest A list of typical properties of Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer molecular weight (lowest melt flow number) resins are resin is shown in Table 1. These data are of a general nature used when the highest level of stress crack resistance and should not be used for specifications. Because the is required and where processing rates are of secondary principal difference among the grades is molecular weight, importance. Lower molecular weight (higher melt flow only those properties affected by molecular weight show number) FEP resins are designed for high speed melt significant differences (e.g., toughness and stress crack extrusion onto fine wire. resistance). Minor differences in tensile and compressive Standard colors are available as concentrates from properties are sometimes seen due to variations in commercial producers for incorporation by the processor. processing conditions. Electrical properties and resistance to chemicals are generally the same for all grades. Other product grades are also available for special processing needs. They include powder and dispersion Mechanical Properties forms for coating applications and special resins for wire Fabricated shapes of Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer resins insulation. are tough, flexible in thin sections, and fairly rigid in thick Teflon™ FEP film is also available in a wide range of sections. With increasing temperature, rigidity (as measured thicknesses for electrical, chemical, and release by flexural modulus) decreases significantly up to the applications. These include untreated as well as one or maximum continuous-use temperature of 205 °C (401 °F). both sides treated for improved cementability. Surfaces of fabricated parts have a very low coefficient of friction, although slightly higher than that of Teflon™ PTFE. Very little sticks to Teflon™ FEP, but the surfaces can be specially treated to accept conventional industrial adhesives. 3 Teflon™ FEP Fluoropolymer Resins Table 1. Typical Properties of Teflon™ FEP Fluoropolymer Resins Property Test Method1 Unit Typical Properties Melt Flow Rate (MFR at 372 °C [702 °F]/5.0 kg) ISO 12086 D2116 g/10 min 3–30 Specific Gravity ISO 1183 D792 — 2.15 Tensile Strength, 23 °C (73 °F) ISO 12086 D638 MPa (psi) 20–34 Ultimate Elongation, 23 °C (73 °F) ISO 12086 D638 % 325 Flexural Modulus, 23 °C (73 °F) ISO 178 D790 MPa (psi) 550–655 (80,000–95,000) MIT Folding Endurance (0.20 mm, 8 mil film) — D21762 Cycles 5,000–1x106 Hardness, Shore Durometer ISO 868 D2240 — D-55 Dielectric Constant, 1 MHz IEC 250 D150 — 2.03 Dielectric Constant, 1 GHz IEC 250 D2520 — 2.03 Dissipation Factor, 1 MHz IEC 250 D150 — 0.00061 Dissipation Factor, 1 GHz IEC 250 D2520 — 0.00094 Dielectric Strength, 0.25 mm film IEC 60243 D149 kV/mm 78 Melting Point — D4591 °C (°F) 260 (500) Service Temperature (20,000 hr) ISO 2578 — °C (°F) 205 (401) Limiting Oxygen Index ISO 4589 D2863 % >95 Flammability Classification3,4 — UL 94 — 94 V-0 Weather Resistance “Weather-O-Meter” (2,000 hr) No Effect Solvent Resistance D543 Excellent Chemical Resistance — — — Excellent Water Absorption, 24 hr D570 % 0.01 1ASTM Method, unless otherwise specified 2Historical standard 3These results are based on laboratory tests, under controlled conditions, and do not reflect performance under actual fire conditions. 4Current rating is a typical theoretical value. Tensile Properties test conditions affect test results, so these variables Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer resin is an engineering material must be kept constant when making comparisons. whose performance in any particular application may be The effects of temperature on tensile strength and predicted by calculation in the same manner as for other ultimate elongation are summarized in Figures 6 and 7. engineering materials. From the data presented in this Of more practical importance is yield strength. With handbook, values can be selected which, with appropriate Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer resin, elastic response safety factors, will allow standard engineering formulas to begins to deviate from linearity at strains of only a few be used in designing parts. percent. This is referred to as yield strength. The effect Stress/strain curves for temperatures in the usual design of temperature on yield strength for Teflon™ FEP 100 X is range for Teflon™ FEP 100 X (Figure 1) show that yield shown in Table 2. occurs at relatively low deformations. Elastic response begins to deviate from linearity at strains of only a few Flexural Modulus percent, as with most plastics. Therefore, when designing Flexural modulus is a measure of stiffness and among the ™ with Teflon FEP, it is often best to work with acceptable properties included in Table 1. Teflon™ FEP fluoropolymer strain and determine the corresponding stress. Typical resin retains flexibility to very low temperatures and stress/strain curves that show ultimate tensile strengths is useful at cryogenic temperatures. The effect of at –52 °C (–62 °F), 23 °C (73 °F), 100 °C (212 °F), and temperature on flexural modulus is shown in Figure 8. 200 °C (392 °F) for Teflon™ FEP 100 X are given in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5. Test specimen preparation, geometry, and 4 Teflon™ FEP Fluoropolymer Resins Compressive Stress load, the higher the apparent modulus and allowable Stress/strain curves for compression are similar to those stress. Apparent modulus is most easily explained with an for tension at low values of strain. Typical compression example. curves for Teflon™ FEP 100 X at three temperatures at As long as the stress level is below the elastic limit of low levels of strain are shown in Figure 9. the material, modulus of elasticity E is obtained from the equation above. For a compressive stress of 1,000 psi, Creep and Cold Flow Figure 9 gives a strain of 0.015 inch per inch for Teflon™ A plastic material subjected to continuous load FEP 100 X at 23 °C (73 °F). Then, experiences a continued deformation with time that