The ECTFE resin is an alternating copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifluoro-ethylene. It was first commercialized by Allied Signal in 1974. The product was initially marketed for use in the chemical processing industry due to its excellent chemical resistance, very low permeability to liquid and gases, as well as very good strength and toughness at elevated temperatures. The industrial applications include reactors, scrubbers, electrolytic cell liners, transport and storage tanks, tower packing, pipe, and fittings exposed to very aggressive chemicals. Several of these structures have been used successfully for more than 20 years in a variety of industries.
Fluoropolymers can successfully replace metals in corrosion protection applications due to their low surface energy, good chemical resistance, low permeability, high temperature thermal stability, surface smoothness, and non-burning characteristic. One of these fluoropolymers, the ECTFE resin, has been successfully used in industrial applications for more than 20 years. The initial characterization of the ECTFE polymer performed in the 70?s, confirmed by the testing performed later on, showed that this resin has excellent chemical and permeation resistance. When combined with good mechanical properties, low brittleness temperature, exceptional surface smoothness, low notch sensitivity, excellent impact strength and abrasion resistance, this resin was quickly identified as the material of choice for the chemical processing industry. Several large industrial applications of the ECTFE resin date back to the early 80?s. During the past few years, we have been working with end users and fabricators in order to identify the case histories where the ECTFE resin was used in industrial applications. We identified more than 40 such applications, not including powder coating. This presentation includes a summary of the most interesting applications. Five case histories are described in more details.
ECTFE is a1:1 alternating copolymer of ethylene and trichlorofluoroethylene. It has a melting point of 240°C, density equal to 1.68 g/cm3, and a brittleness temperature less than -76°C. Its maximum continuous service temperature is 150°C, up to 175°C for non-loading applications. The typical mechanical properties of the ECTFE resin are presented in the table 1(1)
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Good chemical resistance of polymeric materials does not always guarantee that parts made from the resin will perform well in specific applications. The other factor which has to be considered is the permeation resistance of the polymer. The ECTFE resins displays very low permeability to hydrogen, oxygen, water vapor, chlorine, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen sulfide. In some cases, the permeation rate is the lowest of all fluoropolymers.
A. Overview The performance data helps when selecting the right material for the particular application. However, performance in real life applications is always the best test. This is the main reason we dedicated substantial efforts to identify the industrial applications of the ECTFE resin. Case histories described in this work should help to confirm what type of chemistries ECTFE can be successfully used in. Examples of successful ECTFE applications include:
Transport and storage of aggressive chemicals such as HF, H2SO4, HCl, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine, or herbicides & pesticides.
