Teflon

Introduction

Polytetrafluoroethylene commonly known as Teflon refers to a synthetic type of element made of “tetrafluoroethylene fluoropolymer”. It is mainly created by the “radical polymerisation” that is free of several molecules of tetrafluoroethylene. Polytetrafluoroethylene is called PTFE as the chemical term that has numerous benefits in the current situation to all types of industries.

What is Teflon?

Teflon refers to a name that has been widely used in the making of non-stick material, especially for the cookware set. This is mainly made with a particular chemical bond namely tetrafluoroethylene. It refers to a thermoplastic element of polymer and the chemical equation of this element is (C2F4)n. The chemical identity of this formula mainly shows that there are several numbers of “C2F4 units”.

Figure 1 − Structure of Teflon

It includes a great capability for maintaining a higher strength as well as toughness of this element is also great. The ability to consume temperature, as well as heat, is also greater compared to other elements of this compound. The self-lubrication power of this element is very low about 5K and it is very flexible with temperature or electricity that is more than 194 K.

Properties of Teflon

The properties of Teflon are a little different from other poly elements and it is considered one of the most significant elements made of polymers. This particular compound is chemically identified as the “thermoplastic polymer PTFE”. The appearance of Teflon is solid and white at the normal atmospheric temperature.

• The density of this molecule is higher compared to other types of polymers is “2200 kg/m3 or 2.2 g/cm3”.

• This element can be melted at a lower temperature than other materials and it requires a temperature for melting of 600 K.

• This is a chemical compound with great resistance power and it is considered the only chemical that is effective for “alkali metals”.

• This element displays good resistance in terms of heat along with a lower temperature. The water absorption power of this material is low and the capability of anti-adhesion can be seen in this material.

The preparation process for Teflon

Teflon can be prepared with the help of tetrafluoroethylene in the process of “free radical polymerization”. The chemical reaction of this element can be presented as

$$\mathrm{"nF_{2}C\:=\:CF_{2}\:\rightarrow\:-(F_{2}C\:-\:CF_{2})_{n^{-}}"}$$

The explosively of tetrafluoroethylene is very high and it easily explosively decomposes into tetrafluoromethane along with carbon.

Figure 2 − Preparation of Teflon

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Certain apparatus is needed for the process of polymerization for the prevention of hot spots that might initiate this type of “dangerous side reaction”. The procedure begins with per sulphate haemolysing that guides to form of radicals of sulphate and it is presented as

$$\mathrm{"[O_{3}SO\:-\:OSO_{3}]_{2}\:-\:\rightleftharpoons\:2SO_{4-}"}$$

The resultant of this particular reaction can be terminated with the help of a “sulphate ester group” and it mainly made “OH end-groups” after the process of hydrolysing.

Applications of Teflon

The application of this material can be seen in different industries for several purposes in recent times. The household commodities along with the factory products are almost incomplete without the application of Teflon.

• The wide application of Teflon can be seen in the production process of waterproof materials or fabric.

• Another application of this element can be seen in the production process of “non-stick cookware”.

• It is mostly used by several industries in their products as a material for anti- friction.

• The packaging of some heavy-weight materials does not complete without this material and in the current situation, most of the business sector widely applied this material.

• This material is used in the production process of different surgical devices and as it has a great resistance power in terms of corrosion. It is applied as a coating of some appliances for laboratory purposes.

Advantages of using Teflon

Several advantages are seen for using Teflon for different purposes and it is an important element guiding to improve the consistency as well as great resistance to heat and corrosion.

• Teflon the chemical identity of PTFE is efficient compared to any other elements of polymers like nylon as well as acetyl.

• Polytetrafluoroethylene has great stability in terms of thermal reflection even if it can be stable at a higher temperature. The chemical factors of this element id appropriate for the making of different electrical appliances along with manufacturing it is greatly applied.

• The textile industry uses this material in manufacturing different garments items.

• The durability of this material is very high and that is why it is mostly used in the coating of some materials like electrical wires along with non-stick utensils.

Conclusion

This element is used as a resistance to electricity and it is a good conductor of temperature. It is widely used in the making of cooking utensils along with electrical wire production. It can be boiled at a very low temperature and the thermal stability of this element is good. Teflon is applied in different industries in recent times because of its lower friction rate in terms of coefficient.

FAQs

1. What makes Teflon appropriate for the electrical industry?

Teflon has a great resistance power in terms of corrosion and it is not a conductor of electricity. Therefore, it is used in the electrical industry. The high durability power also makes it appropriate for this industry.

2. What are called polymers?

Polymers refer to substances of high molecular mass that consist of a great number of structural units that are repeated several times. It is mainly joined together with the help of joined bonds “linear fashion”.

3. What is the function of the monomer?

The function of the monomer can be seen from different perspectives and in various forms like propene, styrene as well as acrylonitrile. It includes two different bonding sites “ethylene glycol” as well as hexamethylenediamine.