Fluoropolymer – A plastic based on polymers containing one or more atoms of fluorine, or copolymers with the fluorine-containing monomer being in the greatest amount by mass. Because of the electronegativity of fluorine, fluoropolymers inherently do not bond readily with other materials, this trait is usually referred to as nonstick. Fluoropolymers are a large family of semicrystalline materials that have outstanding chemical inertness, high temperature resistance, and low friction. Dielectric properties are excellent and stable over a wide temperature and frequency range; all fluoropolymers are inherently flame retardant. The Fluoropolymer family includes Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer (ETFE), and Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), and Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) to name a few.
The first patents for fluoropolymers, taken out by IG Farben in 1934, related to Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE). Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was discovered by Plunkett in 1938. Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene Copolymer (ETFE) and Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) were introduced by DuPont in 1972.