Chinese breakthrough in synthesis of fluorine-enriched monomers 03-05-2018

The MST of China has announced that an affiliated unit had made breakthroughs in the key technological research on premium organic fluoride material, developing China's stand in the international power coatings market.



 


At the end of January, 2018, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) of the People's Republic of China has announced that an affiliated unit had made breakthroughs in the key technological research on premium organic fluoride materials, such as the synthesis of special fluorine-enriched monomers as well as the polymerisation, modification and large-scale production technology of premium organic fluoride materials. Moreover, the unit has built exemplary production lines of high as well as low-temperature-resistant fluoroelastomer, fluorine-silicon coatings and modified polyvinylidene fluoride resin for power coatings. 


According to market intelligence firm CCM, during the 13th Five Year Plan period (2016–2020), the MST drafted a specialised plan that focuses on technical innovations about advanced structure & composite materials and new-type functional intelligent materials to boost the domestic industries of fluorochemicals and premium organic fluoride materials.


Fluorine-containing polymers are essential in the world of advanced coatings. After all the synthesis of these special chemical polymers has been largely prompted by the very high thermal stability of PTFE. The focus lies hereby on the development as possible heat-resistant materials in the coatings industry.


The technology that deals with fluorine-containing polymers is already about 70 years old.  Notably, the fluoropolymer commercial markets show a very healthy growth rate in the large markets worldwide, increasing larger than the average GDP in most cases. The reasons for the huge attention can be found in the ability to design fluoropolymer properties that continue to be used in a wide range of industrial technologies. The main purpose is to better control their unique optical, electronic, processing, environmental stability, and surface properties. Fluorine-containing compounds have found a wide range of applications in today’s industry, ranging from modern drugs to polymeric materials.

 

fluoroelastomer is a special purpose fluorocarbon-based synthetic rubber. It has wide chemical resistance and superior performance, especially in the high-temperature application in different media. Fluoroelastomer is also called fluorocarbon elastomer. These chemicals were developed in the 1940s and 1950s of the heat-resistant resin polytetrafluoroethylene, and then subsequently sold under the trademark Teflon.

 

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a typical non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer, which can be processed using the polymerization of vinylidene difluoride. PVDF is used as a speciality plastic. Thanks to its unique characteristics, the material is normally utilized for applications requiring a very high purity, as well as resistance to solvents, acids and bases. Compared to other common fluoropolymers, PVDF has a very low density.


As a tough plastic that is resistant to flame, electricity, and attack by most chemicals, PVDF is injection-moulded into bottles for the chemical industry and extruded as a film for electrical insulation. Its flame resistance makes it especially desirable for insulating wire in buildings and aircraft. PVDF is also piezoelectric, changing its electrical charge in response to pressure and, conversely, exerting pressure in response to an applied electric field. This unique property makes it a good material for transducers in devices such as headphones, microphones, and sonic detectors.


It is available as piping products, sheet, tubing, films, plate and an insulator for premium wire. It can be injected, moulded or welded and is commonly used in the chemical, semiconductor, medical and defence industries, as well as in lithium-ion batteries. It is also available as a cross-linked closed-cell foam, used increasingly in aviation and aerospace applications.


As a fine powder grade, the chemical is an ingredient in high-end paints for metals. These PVDF paints have extremely good gloss and colour retention. PVDF membranes are used for western blots for immobilization of proteins, due to its non-specific affinity for amino acids.


About this article


The information for this article comes from CCM, China’s leading market intelligence provider for the fields of agriculture, chemicals, food and feed.


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