Fatigue and Tribological Properties of Plastics and Elastomers, 2nd Edition

Chapter 11. Fluoropolymers

11.1. Background

The following sections will briefly explain the structures and properties between the various fluoropolymers. It is important to keep in mind there are variations of most of these polymers. The most common variation is the molecular weight, which will affect the melting point somewhat, and the viscosity of the polymer above its melt point, properties that are important in determining processing conditions and use.

Traditionally, a fluoropolymer or fluoroplastic is defined as a polymer consisting of carbon (C) and fluorine (F). Sometimes these are referred to as perfluoropolymers to distinguish them from partially fluorinated polymers, fluoroelastomers, and other polymers that contain fluorine in their ...