PVDF

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Polyvinylidene fluoride, or PVDF, is a cost-competitive high performing polymer. PVDF’s inherent purity and extreme hardness make this material ideal for a variety of applications requiring exposure to extreme conditions. PVDF can be used over a wide temperature range from -58 °F (-50 °C) to 302 °F (150 °C) and shows excellent abrasion resistance and very low permeability.

PVDF is melt-processable and its alternating CH2 and CF2 groups result in a polymer with high chemical resistance; it is inert to most aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, acids, chlorinated solvents, and alcohols. PVDF’s chemical resistance likewise carries over to its combustion: PVDF is highly flame resistant and is categorized as a self-extinguishing material. PVDF’s UL 94 V-0 rating means that even if the material ignites, it will burn no more than 10 seconds with no flaming or drips.

PVDF is resistant to UV and gamma radiation enabling it to tolerate extended exposure to sunlight. PVDF exhibits excellent resistance to creep, fatigue, and cut through and maintains its dielectric strength of up to 1700 volts/mil throughout its wide service temperature range. PVDF is melt-weldable and thermoformable.

PVDF tubing (also known as Kynar®) is used in many industries such as aerospace, oil and gas exploration, automotive, electronics, semiconductor, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, fiber optics, and medical. In addition to its good performance-to-cost ratio, PVDF’s physical properties have made it a popular choice for applications requiring flexibility without sacrificing performance.

Zeus can fashion PVDF into an array of profiles to suit the precise requirements of your application. Contact our team or call toll-free in the US 1-800-526-3842 or +1-803-268-9500 internationally today.

Note: The information in the Zeus website, catalog, and other sources presents and discusses generally accepted properties for non-pigmented virgin polymer resins from which Zeus fabricates its line of extruded products. Actual properties may change due to processing method, resin grade, extruded dimensions, and other variables. It is the end user’s responsibility to fully evaluate and test the fitness of the product for their specific application.

  • APPLICATIONS

    Barrier Layers – PVDF’s broad-spectrum chemical resistance is a perfect match for use as flexible liners and barrier layers for chemical holding tanks. PVDF’s mechanical properties help to insure these liners are resistant to tearing and cracking.

    Critical Fluid Transfer – PVDF’s resistance to strong acids, hydrocarbons and other corrosives, broad working temperature, and UV resistance allow this tubing to be used just about anywhere including outdoors. PVDF’s low permeability means that this tubing is equally effective carrying gases as well as liquids; its purity and biocompatibility make PVDF tubing a good choice for pharmaceutical, biomedical, analytical applications, pure water systems, and ground water monitoring. PVDF tubing is also routinely used in areas such as automotive, aerospace, oil and gas exploration, heat transfer, and environmental sampling applications.

    Furcation Tubing – Also known as jacketing, this tubing application is commonly used in fiber optics to protect these fragile transmission devices from physical damage. PVDF tubing can easily be slid over fiber optics without damaging them. PVDF’s broad operating temperature range allows it to perform in hot and cold environments. In multi-lumen form, this tubing allows multiple channels of fiber optics to be contained in a single outside diameter.

  • PRODUCTS

    Custom Fiber Optic Coating – PVDF can be supplied as a specialty coating to protect delicate fiber optics from abrasion and difficult chemical environments such as in the oil and gas industry. Coated fiber optics gain mechanical strength and as well as protection from UV exposure in outdoor use.

    Custom Profiles – At Zeus, we excel in the production of tight-tolerance custom profiles and special shapes for our extruded products. We offer PVDF tubing in customized extruded profiles that include engineered surface tubing, splines, and other unique shapes. Engineered surfaces can be applied to the inner, outer, or both diameters of the tubing. We have developed the technology to bring unique extruded profiles from concept to reality.

    Etching – While PVDF tubing is fully melt-weldable, the tubing can also be chemically etched to enhance bonding to other materials. Etching can be done over the length of the tube or for specific lengths on the end. Our tubing extrusions can likewise be etched on the inside diameter, outside diameter, or both to create a highly bondable surface.

    Extruded Tubing – PVDF tubing can be used to protect its contents from chemical contaminants and mechanical stresses while also providing insulation for electrical uses. PVDF’s advanced mechanical, physical, and chemical properties make this polymer an excellent tubing option for industries that rely on these criteria. PVDF’s chemical resistance makes this tubing an excellent carrier of nearly all commonly encountered chemicals. This opens up a wide range of possibilities for PVDF tubing such as pharmaceutical and laboratory, food and beverage, and petrochemical industries. PVDF’s UV resistance allows this tubing to be used for prolonged periods outdoors where it maintains its characteristic properties. Spiral cut tubing is a post-extrusion modification that we create to form an expandable tubing for wire bundling and harnessing applications. This tubing is also available as custom insulation tubing to precisely match your electrical application needs.

    Fiber – UV resistant, mechanically tough, and abrasion resistant, PVDF Drawn Fiber is an excellent material with robust properties at a competitive cost. PVDF is chemically and radiation resistant with a continuous service temperature of 302 °F (150 °C). PVDF can also be woven into a filter mesh. This material has the strength needed for even the toughest seams of the fabric. PVDF fiber also makes excellent braiding materials for wire. For monofilament, our standard size ranges from 0.003″ (0.076 mm) to 0.040″ (1.016 mm). PVDF monofilament is lightweight and sterilizable. This monofilament is available as a custom order.

    Fillers – PVDF is available with a number of fillers to further customize your product for your specific application. For example, carbon fillers increase the resin’s electrical dissipation; barium and bismuth provide radio opacity for catheters and other medical devices; and pigments add color. Additional fillers are available by request.

    Multi-Lumen – Zeus Multi-Lumen tubing contains numerous lumens, or “passages,” creating multiple working channels that run the length of the tubing. These channels allow multiple instruments, wires, fibers, or fluids to be passed through the tube but contained within a single outside diameter tubing. Multi-lumen tubing is widely used in medical devices such as catheters as well as in electronic devices and fluid handling applications. Our multi-lumen tubing is made with tight tolerances and to the highest quality standards.

  • KEY PROPERTIES

    Abrasion Resistance – PVDF’s excellent hardness imparts very good abrasion resistance to this tubing and minimizes the effects of wear.

    Biocompatibility – PVDF is non-toxic and USP Class VI certified. PVDF can be used around food, and its outside surface provides an unpropitious surface for bacterial and fungal growth.

    Broad Working Temperature Range – PVDF has a service temperature range of -58 °F (-50 °C) to 302 °F (150 °C) easily covering most ordinary working temperature environments.

    Chemical Resistance – PVDF tubing is nearly inert to most commonly encountered hydrocarbons, acids, alcohols, and chlorinated solvents; this quality makes PVDF tubing an excellent choice for almost any chemical environment.

    Excellent Dielectric Properties – The exceptional dielectric properties of PVDF tubing means that it is an excellent insulator in addition to providing protection from physical and mechanical stresses to the covered materials.

    Flame Resistant – PVDF is highly averse to burning and possesses a limiting oxygen index of 95. PVDF’s UL 94 V-0 rating means that even if this material should ignite, it self-extinguishes within ten minutes with no flaming or drips. PVDF burns with very low smoke.

    Radiation Resistant – PVDF is an excellent tubing choice for use near gamma radiation. This material is matched only by PEEK for its radiation resistance.

    Sterilizable – In line with its biocompatibility, PVDF is amenable to several sterilization protocols including autoclaving, gamma irradiation, ETO, and e-beam methods.

    Tight Tolerances – As the world’s leader in polymer extrusion, Zeus tubing is manufactured with extremely tight tolerances with many size and tolerance customizations available.

    UV Resistant – PVDF tubing is very resistant to UV radiation thus it is not prone break down or deteriorate in outdoor use; it maintains its properties long-term and is very resistant to aging. PVDF tubing is also suitable for use under UV sterilization.

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