7.1 Applications

In general, fluoropolymers provide solutions to the industry demands for higher service temperatures, better electrical properties, improved flame resistance, and reduced smoke generation.

Increasingly, in the automotive industry, more electronic systems are being introduced that require more sensors and regulators. Automotive applications demand a relatively high chemical resistance, dependable service at low and high temperatures, and a good abrasion resistance. Fluoropolymers can meet all of the requirements. Traditionally, both ETFE and PTFE have been used, although the trend is to utilise both PFA and FEP to meet the new demands.

In the aerospace industry, too, there is an increasing demand for high performance electrical insulations with a high degree of fire safety and light weight. Here the trend is for foamed fluoroplastics, e.g., FEP.

In telecommunications similar requirements are placed on insulation materials in addition to low dielectric losses. Thus, even here fluoropolymers are capable of meeting them.

The trends in appliance wiring are towards increasing the service temperature.

In semiconductor equipment the requirements are: a very high purity of the material with little or no outgassing, flexibility and chemical resistance.

Besides ETFE, which has been the mainstay in most of the applications described previously, because of its excellent insulating properties, abrasion resistance, and cut-through resistance, THV and HTE have been also used successfully. HTE particularly, has an abrasion resistance and cut-through resistance similar to those of ETFE, but it can be processed on standard extrusion equipment (i.e., that commonly used for polyolefins),...