Advance building

materials
ETHYLENE TETRAFLUOROETHYLENE

By: Shrutika Jaybhaye

Khushi Kachhadia
 2

WHAT IS
ETFE?
 A transparent polymer that is used
instead of glass 
 Very lightweight, high daylight
transmittance, energy efficient 
 High tear resistance, long life and
smooth
 High flexibility, attractive, less
maintenance
 3

WORLD ENERGY
DEMAND

▪ The embodied energy of building materials is one of the prime cause

 4

FATHERS OF ETFE

Dr. Stefan Lehnert Dr. Roy.J.Plunkett

 5

HISTORY OF

ETFE
Originally invented by DuPont as an insulation
material for aeronautics industry

 In 1980s German mechanical engineering student

Stefan Lehnert introduced ETFE to construction
industry

 Even though some atriums during 1980s used

ETFE as covering, it became globally recognised
with the introduction of EDEN project
 6

HOW IT IS
 MADE
Co-polymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene

Fluorspar (CaF2) Sulphuric acid (H2SO4) Fluoridic acid (HF)

Trichloromethane
Chlorine Methanol
(CH2OH)
 Trichloromethane Fluoridic acid (HF) Chlorodifluoromethane(CHClF2)

Pyrolysis at 700°C
Chlorodifluoromethane(CHClF2) Tetrafluoroethylene

Polymerisati
on

Tetrafluoroethylen Ethylene Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene

e
 8

PROPERTIES OF
ETFE
 Non-stick characteristics makes it virtually self-
cleaning
 Less permeability to gas and water vapour
 Good translucency and light transmission qualities
 Can be coated to help further in control of heat and
light transmission
 Excellent mechanical properties for
engineering purposes in the design of roofs
or cladding systems
 Strong enough to bear 400 times of its
weight
 10

LIFE

 Life expectancy is unaffected by Uv- light, atmospheric pollution etc

 No sign that the material will become brittle or discolor over time
 Hence it is anticipated that life expectancy is excess of 50 years

FIRE PERFORMANCE
 Service temperature range from -200°C to 150°C
 Shrinks under fire and self ventilates
 Since size of material is small, drops of molten
ETFE is not generally felt
 Can be used with building management system and
connect with heat,smoke, wind and rain sensors
 11

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

 ETFE’s greater structural asset is its ductility and

flexibility
 High elongation percentage helps the material to
maintain tension and stability despite large
deflections

 Absorbs structural movements by conforming to

changing geometries
 Dampens the effects of sudden wind gusts,
reducing the design wind loads
 12

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPACT
 Very low embodied energy
 Long life (estimated between 50-100 years)
 Can be recycled with ease
 Low maintenance
 ETFE foils can be printed with shading patterns to
control heat transmission
 ETFE foils can be printed with shading patterns to
control heat transmission
 13

PRIC
E
US $200.00-$280.00 / Square Meter

Or

15,000-20,000 Rs / Square Meter

1000 Square Meters (Min. Order)

 14

AREAS OF
APPLICATION
 Roof element in many stadiums,
botanical/zoological gardens
 In many buildings to enhance aesthetic appeal
 Protective cover for photovoltaic (PV) cells
 15

CASE
STUDIES
1. Geodesic Domes-EDEN Project, UK

 Consists of two grids of steel

and used two layer ETFE
cushions
 Structural deflections up to
20cm are easily carried
 Larger panels reduced the
number of nodes to be
fabricated
 16

2. Parkview Green, Beijing

 Envelope enclosing four buildings,

surrounded by glass walls and ETFE
roof
 Creates its own microclimate
 High thermal efficiency
 Venting of heat and smoke prevents
the rapid spread of fire from building to
building
 Microclimatic envelope maintains the
atrium several degrees warmer in winter
and cooler in summer
 17

CONCLUSIO
N
 ETFE proves to be an efficient material to be used in
buildings. It is highly energy efficient, light weight, strong and
durable

 ETFE also suffers from disadvantages like high initial

cost, poor acoustical properties and also compromised
fire performance

 ETFE is still in its infancy and there are much more

 potential to tap into
 18

Thanks!
Any questions?