Teflon Fiber: Production, Properties and

End-uses

Submitted by
Sadikur Rahman Sadikur Rahman
Yarn engineering Yarn engineering

Submitted to
Md. Emdad Sarkar
Assistant Professor
Department of Fabric Engineering
Bangladesh University of Textile
History

Dr. Roy Plunkett accidently discovered poly tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), the

basis of Teflon®, in April 1938.
History
• Plunkett and his assistant, Jack Rebok, were charged with developing an
alternative refrigerant and came up with tetrafluorethylene (TFE). They ended
up making about 100 pounds of TFE and were faced with the dilemma of
storing it all.

• They placed the TFE in small cylinders and froze them. When they later
checked on the refrigerant, they found the cylinders effectively empty, even
though they felt heavy enough. They cut one side of cylinder and found that
the TFE had polymerized into a white, waxy powder of PTFE resin.
History
• It was slippery, chemically and thermally stable resin with high melting
point. Then it was sent to DuPont’s Central Research Department. The
scientists there were instructed to experiment with the substance, and
Teflon® was born.

• In 1941, the polymer was trademarked under the name Teflon®.

• Fibers have been produced from the PTFE polymer since the 1950s. PTFE
is one of a class of plastics known as fluoropolymers.
Production
• PTFE is produced by free-radical polymerization of TFE.

• It is obtained by water-emulsion polymerization of TFE under pressure in the

presence of benzoyl per oxide as a initiator.
 Production
• Production of TFE
Characteristics of TFE
Chloroform
Fluorspar(CaF 2)
• TFE is a colorless, odorless, nontoxic gas(CHCl
which is,
3)
however, extremely flammable.
HF CHClF2
• DueMixture
to high explosiveMixture
nature of TFE, special Pyrolysis
apparatus is required for the polymerization to
Sulfuric prevent hot spots that might initiate this dangerous
Acid(H2SO4) side reaction.
Properties- Chemical and Physical

 Chemically inert
 Biologically safe and suitable for food packaging.
 Excellent resistance to UV radiation
 Non-flammable
 Completely water repellent
Properties- Electrical

 Excellent dielectric strength (1.89-2.1). at various temperatures and

frequencies
 High surface resistivity
 High volume resistivity
 High dissipation factor
Properties- Mechanical and Thermal
 Non-stick and anti-adhesive
 Low friction coefficient (Static: 0.12-0.15, Kinetic: 0.05-0.10), even under
heavy loads
 Tensile Strength (21-34 Mpa)
 Excellent workability (easy to mold and spin cast)

 Low heat conductivity

 Good thermal insulation
 PTFE is thermally stable up to 300°C
 Wide range of operating temperatures
Application
• Teflon coated cookware: Non-sticky and extremely low frictional
properties and high heat resistance have made Teflon cookware very
popular.

• Mechanical purpose: Extremely low friction and self lubricating of

Teflon makes it ideal for making machine parts, such as gears, bearings,
pipe linings, joints, slide plates, bushings, O-rings, and saw blades.

• Fabric and carpet industry: The nonstick property of Teflon is also used
in fabrics and carpets for improving their stain-resistant qualities.
Application
• Insulator: Teflon has excellent dielectric properties, especially at high
radio frequencies. This property made it useable for insulating purpose.

• Medicine: The chemical inertness of Teflon makes it apt for making

artificial body parts.

• Armor-piercing bullets: Teflon is used to coat specific types of hardened

armor-piercing bullets. This coating helps decrease the wear and tear on
the firearm's rifling.
Thank you