8/18/2019 Ptfe History
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PTFE HISTORY
The history of POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE began on April 6,
1!" at #$ Pont%s &a'(son Laboratory in Ne) &ersey* On
that fort$nate +ay, #r* Roy &* Pl$n(ett, )ho)as )or(ing )ith
gases relate+ to FREON refrigerants, +is'oere+ that one sa-pleha+
poly-erise+ spontaneo$sly to a )hite, )a.y soli+*
Testing sho)e+ that this soli+ )as a ery re-ar(able
-aterial* /t )as a resin thatresiste+ pra'ti'ally eery (no)n
'he-i'al or solent0 its s$rfa'e )as so slipperythat al-ost no
s$bstan'e )o$l+ sti'( to it0 -oist$re +i+ not 'a$se it to s)ell,
an+ it+i+ not +egra+e or be'o-e brittle after long ter- e.pos$re to
s$nlight* /t ha+ a-elting point of !234 an+, as oppose+ to
'onentional ther-oplasti's, it )o$l+ not5o) aboe that -elting
point* This -eant that ne) pro'essing te'hni$es ha+ to be+eelope+
to s$it the 'hara'teristi's of the ne) resin 7 )hi'h #$ Pontna-e+
TEFLON*
8orro)ing te'hni$es fro- po)+er -etall$rgy, #$ Pont engineers
)ere able to'o-press an+ sinter POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE resins into
blo'(s that 'o$l+ be
-a'hine+ to for- any +esire+ shape* Later, +ispersions of the
resin in )ater )ere+eelope+ to 'oat glass7'loth an+ -a(e ena-els* A
po)+er )as pro+$'e+ that'o$l+ be blen+e+ )ith a l$bri'ant an+
e.tr$+e+ to 'oat )ire an+ -an$fa't$ret$bing*
8y 19", 1: years after the +is'oery of POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE,
#$ Pont )astea'hing pro'essing te'hnology to its '$sto-ers* ;oon a
'o--er'ial plant )asoperational, an+ POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE PTFE
resins be'a-e aailable in+ispersions, gran$lar resins an+
