Applications

Semicon Ductwork Applications   

Halar® ECTFE purity, surface smoothness, chemical, and fire resistance are key characteristics in the semiconductor market for ductwork coatings and wet-tool constructions.

Halar® ECTFE delivers exceptional results in semiconductor environments. Our Halar® powder is used as a coating material in exhaust duct, vessels, and process equipment. Halar® ECTFE powder coatings have been used successfully for fire safety and corrosion protection of exhaust duct systems that must meet the FM4922 fire safety standard. Halar® ECTFE coated ductwork offers exceptional surface smoothness reducing the risk of contamination buildup and corrosion.

Over recent years, new Halar® ECTFE powder coating grades have been developed to offer added benefits to the customer: among these products is a primerless Halar® ECTFE coating.

For the Semicon wet process equipment, Halar® ECTFE meets the needs of the most demanding cleanroom equipment applications:

• No contamination of wafers (e.g., by dissolving in etchant)
• Overall lower TCO than frequent replacement of less durable material
• Ability to universally withstand the whole range of etching chemicals over full tool lifetime
• Compliance with FM 4910 fire safety standard, meeting the requirements for resistance to ignition, non-fire propagation, and low smoke generation

Chemical Processing Industry 

Halar® ECTFE has found wide acceptance in the chemical processing and pharmaceutical industries.

Halar® ECTFE strikes an optimal balance between ease of processing and fabrication and exhibits high performance for all technical parameters considered critical: chemical and thermal resistance, permeation resistance, toughness even at low temperatures, scratch and abrasion resistance, very high smoothness and outstanding fire resistance.

The best evidence for use of Halar® ECTFE with halogens (molecular chlorine), oxidizers (nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, and chlorate), acids (sulphuric, hydrochloric, hydrofluoric), alkali (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, etc.) is given by the hundreds of tanks, vessels and various equipment parts coated with Halar® ECTFE and successfully used for more than 35 years.

Oil & Gas 

Halar® ECTFE provides excellent chemical and permeation resistance to Oil & Gas applications, including powder coatings; sheet lining; extruded liners; dual laminates; electromechanical cable jacketing; umbilicals; and applications requiring exposure to Supercritical CO2. Halar® ECTFE has been also specified by some of the major oil companies to combat H2S corrosion.

Electronic Components

Halar® ECTFE is an ideal choice for various telecommunication applications such as signal cables, coaxial, and jacketing requiring excellent weatherability and/or chemical resistance.

Thanks to its electrical and chemical properties, Halar® ECTFE is a prime material to use for jacketing  plenum rated cables in more demanding applications. Its excellent electrical properties simplify the design of high-performance cables. The very low moisture absorption properties of Halar® ECTFE and its temperature insensitivity ensure that cables utilizing Halar® ECTFE jackets maintain their electrical performance under a wide variety of environmental conditions. PVC jacketed cables have been shown to deteriorate significantly in electrical performance due to moisture absorption during aging. The low temperature ductility of Halar® ECTFE allows installation in cooler temperatures without cracking and splitting. Finally, low dissipation factors are desirable in most cable applications, especially with  LAN communication copper wires.

Halar® ECTFE is also particularly well suited for use in hostile environments as jacketing material for non-plenum applications where flexibility, toughness, thermal and chemical resistance are a must.

A foamable grade is also available, which can be used for foam extrusion applications, including primary insulations, coaxial cable cores, cross-webs, fire alarm cable, jackets, foam tubing. 

Construction

In the construction market high-performance films made of Halar® ECTFE are widely used in tensile architecture, thanks to their unique properties:

• Transparent, Light and Flexible: Halar® ECTFE film is lightweight and provides low haze combined with excellent light transmittance. Very flexible, printable, they offer freedom and unique opportunities for designers and architects.

• Superior durability: highly clear and light-transparent, offers extended long-term stability (more than 20 years) when exposed to sunlight and atmospheric events. Fire-resistant approved, it exhibits both chemical resistance and barrier properties.

• Self-cleaning and Anti-fouling: thanks to its low surface tension and smooth surface, it offers very limited adhesiveness to dust and dirt, both of which are easily washable with minimal rain and wind.

• Eco-friendly: some Halar® ECTFE thin films are recyclable, allowing heavy and breakable rigid-glass replacement while offering significant weight reduction as well as flexibility and freedom of design.

Membranes

For membranes, Halar® ECTFE offers outstanding chemical resistance over a broad temperature range and is stable at pH levels from 1 to 14. Because of its exceptional chemical resistance, the material cannot be processed using solution-phase inversion. Instead, it must be processed at temperatures close to its melting point (200 –240°C) using a TIPS process for hollow fibers. Two grades with different molecular weights and melt temperatures are available.

Energy Solution

Heavy, breakable, and rigid glass is being replaced more and more in photovoltaic structures by films made from Specialty Polymers. These films offer the expected light transmission, weatherability, UV resistance, and mechanical performances of glass but add flexibility, weight reduction, chemical and fire resistance, and self-cleanability. An Answer for the energy solution market.

Tough enough for long-term outdoor exposure, Halar® ECTFE film has a smoother surface and lower density and thickness compared to glass.