Fluoropolymers (PTFE, PVDF): Production route
From R22 to Teflon: a family of tricky routes
What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.Fluoropolymers are a family. PTFE is made from TFE, which comes from pyrolysis of R22 (HCFC-22). PVDF is made from vinylidene fluoride, from HCFC-142b. Melt-processable copolymers (FEP, PFA, ETFE) combine TFE with other fluoromonomers. Fluoroelastomers (FKM) combine VDF with hexafluoropropylene. All depend on HF from fluorspar. Emulsion polymerisation historically used PFOA, a PFAS now banned globally; makers have moved to alternatives.
Routes compared
| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) | about 55-60% of fluoropolymer volume (indicative) | about 1.7-2.0 t R22 per t PTFE, needing about 2.4 t chloroform and about 0.8-0.9 t HF (stoichiometric, indicative) | 10-60 kt/yr per site (indicative) | about 90-95% from R22 to TFE (indicative) | HCl, about 2.2 t per t PTFE across R22 synthesis and pyrolysis (stoichiometric); HFC-23 from R22 production (about 1.5-4% of R22, indicative) | not published; Chinese suspension PTFE trades well below Western prices (indicative) |
| PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) | about 15-20% and rising with batteries (indicative) | about 1.6 t HCFC-142b per t PVDF (stoichiometric, indicative) | 10-40 kt/yr; Industrial Info tracked 17 Chinese PVDF projects worth $1.59 billion in 2022 | not published | HCl | not published |
| Melt-processable perfluoropolymers (FEP, PFA, ETFE) | about 10% (indicative) | mostly TFE; comonomers 5-20% (indicative) | 1-15 kt/yr lines | not published | as for TFE | several times PTFE price (indicative) |
| Fluoroelastomers (FKM, FFKM) | about 10% (indicative) | VDF and HFP (indicative) | 1-10 kt/yr | not published | HCl | high |
How each route works
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)Chloroform and HF give R22; R22 is pyrolysed to TFE, which is polymerised in water as granular (suspension) or fine powder and dispersion (emulsion) grades. PTFE does not melt-flow, so it is sintered or paste-extruded.
Unmatched chemical and heat resistance; HFC-23 by-product and hard processing.
stoichiometric; indicative PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride)HCFC-142b is cracked to vinylidene fluoride, which is polymerised in emulsion or suspension. PVDF melts and can be extruded, moulded or dissolved for coatings and battery binders.
Melt-processable, battery and coating grades; HCFC-142b is an ozone-depleting feedstock controlled under the Montreal Protocol (feedstock use allowed).
Industrial Info, Sep 2022; indicative Melt-processable perfluoropolymers (FEP, PFA, ETFE)TFE is copolymerised with hexafluoropropylene (FEP), perfluoroalkyl vinyl ethers (PFA) or ethylene (ETFE) to give polymers that melt and can be extruded onto cable or moulded into chip-fab fittings.
Purity for semiconductors and high-frequency cable; expensive monomers.
indicative Fluoroelastomers (FKM, FFKM)VDF is copolymerised with hexafluoropropylene and sometimes TFE to make rubbers cured into O-rings and seals; perfluoroelastomers (FFKM) are used in chip fabs.
Seals that survive fuels and plasma; hard to replace.
indicative Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.