Polyethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE) is a copolymer of ethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene. ECTFE (ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene) is stronger, stiffer, and more dimensionally stable than many other fluoropolymer materials. It exhibits excellent electrical properties, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and low moisture absorption. ECTFE has exceptionally smooth surfaces compared with other fluoropolymers, which make it an ideal choice for many high purity applications in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries.
ECTFE coatings are used in a variety of different applications. The most common application is as a coating where the goal is to reduce friction in places where there is a lot of friction, especially if dimensional stability is needed, eg: ECTFE coatings on bearings, wire, cable, valve seats, and in other applications. Other common uses include lining scrubbers and pipes in the paper industry and inside of rotomoulted tanks which hold very reactive chemicals.
ECTFE is commonly used for primary insulation and jacketing and in the manufacture of gaskets which are used for the storage of various propellants used in the aerospace industry, like liquid oxygen. It is also widely used throughout the chemical industry, especially in processing where it is often the coating used for the exhaust duct and other processing equipment.