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- World leader in Injection Molded Fluoropolymer Manufacturing
- Tooling is done in-house which enables efficiency, flexibility and greater product quality
- Ability to manufacture parts with virtually no detectable particulate contamination
- Materials Available: PFA, FEP, PVDF, ETFE and ECTFE
- Secondary operations available
Some Of The Industries We Serve:
Aerospace, Medical, Electrical, and Chemical
Learn More About Injection Molded Fluoropolymers
Fluoropolymer Resins and Materials
Please see the Fluoropolymer Material Data Sheet below for a comparison of the Fluoropolymers available for Injection Molding:
| Material | Full Name | Temperature Range | Trace Metal Content | Chemical Inertness | Opacity | Ability to be Sterilized By Irradiation | Non-Stick Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFA | Perfluoroalkoxy alkane | -328°F (-200°C) to 500°F (260°C) | Lowest | Excellent | Translucent | No | Excellent |
| FEP | Fluorinated ethylene propylene | -328°F (-200°C) to 392°F (200°C) | Lowest | Excellent | Translucent (almost transparent) | No | Excellent |
| PVDF | Polyvinylidene fluoride | -80°F (-62°C) to 302°F (150°C) | Medium | Medium | Opaque | Yes | Good |
| ETFE | Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene | -328°F (-200°C) to 392°F (200°C) | Low | Excellent | Translucent | Yes | Excellent |
| ECTFE | Ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer | -94°F (-70°C) to 302°F (150°C) | Low | Medium | Translucent (almost transparent) | Yes | Good |
What Types of Fluoropolymer Materials are available for Injection Molding?
Fluoropolymers can be separated into two primary categories: melt processable and non-melt processable. Melt processable fluoropolymers are manufactured using either injection molding, blow molding or rotational molding. On the other hand, non-melt fluoropolymers are either machined or compression molded since they are unable to be heated into a molten state which is required to be injection molded. Non-melt fluoropolymers include PTFE.
We specialize in melt processable fluoropolymers (also referred to as thermoplastics). Materials available for injection molding include PFA, FED, PVDF, ETFE, and ECTFE.
What are the benefits of Fluoropolymer Products?
Fluoropolymers offer a unique set of characteristics that allow the material to perform even under the harshest conditions. The primary benefits of fluoropolymer products include high chemical resistance, thermal stability, low permeability, low trace level metals, excellent non-stick properties and high durability and strength.
PFA vs. PTFE - What is the difference between PFA and PTFE?
Two properties where there is little difference between PFA and PTFE include temperature range and chemical resistance. There is virtually no difference in PFA vs. PTFE temperature range – both fluoropolymer resins have a temperature range of approximately -328°F to 500°F. Similarly, the PFA vs. PTFE Chemical Resistance charts have very little differences. Both fluoropolymer products have an excellent ability to withstand chemicals.
However, there are many differences between PFA and PTFE, including the trace metal content, their appearance and the manufacturing process used to produce products:
- High purity PFA resin has lower trace metal content than PTFE
- PFA is translucent where PTFE is opaque
- PFA is melt processable and PTFE is not melt-processable.
- PTFE must be machined. PFA can be injection molded.
- PFA injection molding allows for more intricate shapes and logos / markings included
- Using injection molding on PFA is a cleaner manufacturing process than machining PTFE
What is the difference between PFA and PVDF?
While PFA and PVDF are both melt-processable and manufactured using injection molding, there are a few significant differences between PFA and PVDF. Since PFA is the gold standard in fluoropolymers, the cost of the material is more expensive than PVDF; however, with that cost comes the lowest trace metal content, excellent chemical inertness, and excellent non-stick properties. PFA also has the widest temperature range and is translucent. PVDF has a smaller temperature range, has medium trace level content, and is less resistant to a wide array of chemicals. It is important to discuss your product use with us to determine which fluoropolymer material is the correct choice.
How do you know if a material is compatible with Fluoropolymers?
There are many factors that determine how compatible a material will be with a fluoropolymer. Ultimately, it is recommended that your product is tested under your own specific conditions to be sure that they perform as expected.
However, in general fluoropolymers are one of the most chemically inert substances available. They are virtually inert to any chemical and will remain stable and strong in almost all environments. However, among the different types of fluoropolymers there can be significant differences in the chemical compatibility. Among fluoropolymers, PFA and PTFE are the most chemically inert.
Please reach out to us to discuss your specific needs. We have a Chemical Compatibility Guide for Fluoropolymer products that we can provide as a general reference and a starting tool to determine if your material is compatible with various types of fluoropolymers.
Other Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Fluoropolymers Materials
What are fluoropolymers made of? The term fluoropolymer is a generic term that encompasses a wide array of materials. Fluoropolymers are in the family of plastic resins, but they have distinct characteristics that make them unique and unmatched for certain applications. In general fluoropolymers can be divided into non-melt processable and melt processable. Non-melt processable includes PTFE. Melt-processable fluoropolymers are also knows as thermoplastics and would include PFA, FEP, ETFE, PDVF, ECTFE and PCTFE.
Is fluoropolymer the same thing as PTFE? The term fluoropolymer is not the same thing as PTFE. While, PTFE is a type of fluoropolymer, there are numerous other fluoropolymers besides PTFE. PTFE and PFA are perhaps the most widely known and widely used fluoropolymer products, but there are many others with similar qualities.
Is PFA a plastic? PFA is a type of melt processable polymer, which is also known as a thermoplastic.
Is TEFLON™ PTFE or PFA? Is TEFLON™ a Fluoropolymer? There is sometimes confusion around whether TEFLON™ is a Fluoropolymer and whether PFA is a TEFLON™ or PTFE is a TEFLON™. Oftentimes, the terms Fluoropolymers and TEFLON™ will be used interchangeably; however, there are distinctions that need to be made. While TEFLON™ is the most well-known brand name in the fluoropolymer space, TEFLON™ refers to PFA, FEP and PTFE that is manufactured by Chemours™ (formerly known as DuPont). There are other types of fluoropolymer resins (PVDF, ETFE and ECTFE) that would not be considered TEFLON™. For a product to be called a TEFLON™ product, it must be manufactured from TEFLON™ resin. Additionally, Chemours™ is not the only manufacturer of PFA, FEP and PTFE fluoropolymer resins.
Manufacturing Injection Molded Fluoropolymer Products
Tooling for Fluoropolymer Products
All tooling is done in-house and typically completed within 6-12 weeks. The tooling is owned by the customer and typically the service life is over 500,000 cycles. All consulting and design efforts are included in the price of the tool.
What Secondary Operations are available in the manufacturing of fluoropolymer products?
Secondary operations include machining, surface finishing, non-contact welding, laser marking, laser engraving, assembly, post-cleaning, and ISO Class 7 Cleanroom assembly.
What is PFA tubing? And is PFA tubing flexible?
PFA tubing is tubing made from PFA fluoropolymer resin. PFA tubing is very flexible, has high tensile strength, has great flex life, and is translucent. PFA fluoropolymer resin has a wide temperature range and is chemically inert to virtually everything, which makes PFA fluoropolymer tubing widely used in many applications. FEP fluoropolymer tubing is also very flexible and strong and has fluoropolymer properties like PFA.