# Fluoropolymers (PTFE, PVDF): Production route

From R22 to Teflon: a family of tricky routes

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/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.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/correlation/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/fluoropolymers/links/index.md)