Fluoroplastics may not be widely known, but in many ways, they are the superheroes of the plastics industry, and incredibly strong.

What are fluoroplastics?

A normal plastic polythene molecule consists of a carbon chain with hydrogen atoms attached. Yet in fluoroplastics, hydrogen atoms are replaced with fluorine atoms, which dramatically changes their properties.

PTFE, FEP, PFA and other fluoropolymers have non-stick characteristics, very high resistance to chemicals and solvents, very high electrical resistance, and incredibly, are ideal for use in very low and very high working temperatures from -200°C right up to +260°C.

By adding extra fillers to the mix, such as carbon, graphite, anti-static and ceramic, it is possible to boost these exceptional properties even further! Find out more about our Fluoroplastic Tubes.

Fluoroplastic applications

Typically, fluoroplastics do not melt, so they need to be processed using special tooling and techniques. But once this is done, there are many different industries that PTFE, FEP and PFA can be used into great effect.

Being able to function in extremely high temperatures and non-corrosive to all acids, fluoropolymers are often used to make gaskets, vessel linings, pump interiors, washers, rings, seals, spacers, dip tubes and well-drilling components.

Fluoroplastic Films are well used in heated processes within manufacturing and laboratory test environments. In electrics, they are used as excellent insulators for wire and cable wrapping. Being inert, they can be used for chip manufacturing and encapsulating heaters.

Their non-toxic, completely smooth surface means that they are also often used in the medical and pharmaceutical, food and drink, and cosmetics industries, as microbes just cannot gain a foothold.

Silicone Rubber comes in a variety of forms, adhesives, sealants, moulding rubbers for reproduction, encapsulants and potting compounds for electronics and coatings.

Silicone polymers are usually flowable liquids which are cured to form a flexible silicone elastomer or rubber. Additives provide additional characteristics such as adhesion, colour, thermal conductivity to mention a few. Silicone rubber is especially resistant to high temperatures and attack from moisture or chemicals.

As silicone sealants they are widely used in the construction industry with excellent adhesion to glass and ceramics and plastics.

In electronics they are used as adhesives, encapsulants and coatings providing high temperature resistance and being increasingly used for thermal transfer in high power or heat generating applications.

What is Viton?

Viton Rubber is a brand name of DuPont for its synthetic rubber and fluoropolymer elastomer, commonly used in O-rings and other molded or extruded products. This family of elastomers comprises copolymers of terpolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and vinylidene fluoride (VDF or VF2), vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) as well as perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE) containing specialty polymers. DuPont were the first to really market this family of materials, so Viton has become the most commonly associated name with this fluoropolymer family. There are four families of Viton polymers, and the fluorine content of these most popular Viton grades varies between 66 and 70%. The main grades are A (Dipolymers of VF2/HFP), which has a fluorine content of 66%; B (Terpolymers of VF2/HFP/TFE), which commonly used for seals or gaskets and contains 68% fluorine; F (Terpolymers of VF2/HFP/TFE), which is used in oxygenated automotive fuels and has 70% fluorine content; and finally specialty types (such as GLT, GBLT, GFLT & Viton Extreme), which are used in automotive and oil exploration applications.

Sponge rubber can be designed to be open cell or closed cell, but is most commonly used as closed cell and is also known as expanded rubber. Inside a piece of sponge rubber, there are enclosed capsules, or cells, that do not connect with each other. They look very similar to the “bubbles” in a piece of extremely dense foam.

These cell walls are useful for preventing water, air, and to some extent sound from passing through the material. Closed cell sponge rubber can be modified to embody various products necessary to make it suitable for a specific application.

Closed cell EPDM Sponge Products offer great ozone resistance and stand up well to adverse weather conditions. However, it is vulnerable to certain fuels and oils and may fall short of UL flame ratings unless a suitable additive is added to improve its flame-retardant qualities.

Closed cell silicone sponge rubber is stable at both high and low-temperature extremes. It’s characteristically less flame-resistant than many other closed cell sponge rubbers but does offer excellent sunlight and ozone degradation resistance.

Neoprene Sponge Products are designed to be more flame resistant than many of their counterparts. It can withstand intermittent exposure to temperatures of up to approximately 90°C, and with careful compound manipulation can resist light oil contact, acids, alkalis, and ozone damage.

These are by no means the only types of closed cell sponge rubber, but they are certainly some of the most common.

What is Plastic Tubing?

Plastic tubing is a form of tubing that is manufactured from a mixture of a polymer with a variety of chemicals to form a material that can be solid or flexible. Since its first use in the 1950‘s, Plastic Tube has revolutionized industrial processes and has found a use in a wide variety of applications.

The popularity of plastic tubing is due to its adaptability and flexibility. It is produced in a wide variety of wall thickness, diameter, tolerance, and strength using a combination of materials to specifically fit a variety of applications.

Applications for Plastic Tubing

The flexibility, durability, and adaptability of plastic tubing makes it applicable for industrial applications that require long wear and endurance as well as commercial use in consumer products and homes. The main benefit of plastic over steel, aluminum, or other materials is its consistent strength and cost effectiveness since it is far less expensive to produce.