CHAPTER 1

PROCESS BACKGROUND AND SELECTION

1.1 PROCESS BACKGROUND

1.1.1 History

The discovery of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was accomplished by an American

chemist named Dr. Roy Plunkett in 1938. During that time, most of the refrigerants used
were highly flammable and toxic meanwhile the safest on the market, called Refrigerant
114 was protected by a patent and could not be marketed to other manufacturers. To
overcome the restriction, Plunkett decided to develop a new refrigerant with similar
properties to Refrigerant 114 by combining tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) with hydrochloric
acid (HCl). Plunkett carried out the reaction in metal containers and kept them on dry ice
in order to cool down and liquefy the TFE gas.

The next morning, Plunkett was shocked when he discovered that the cylinder
recordedzero pressure despite having the same amount weight as it had on the day
before. Curiously, both Plunkett and his technician cut open the cylinder and discovered
a small amount of slippery white substance alongside the wall of the container. They
soon analyzed the waxy powder and gave name to the new substance as
polytetrafluoroethylene, later trademarked as Teflon by DuPont Company (Ebnesajjad,
2016).

1
 Figure 1.1: Dr. Roy Plunkett, founder of PTFE (Source: Marcote UK Ltd., n.d.).

1.1.2 Chemical and Physical Properties

PTFE, or scientifically known aspoly(1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethylene) is the synthetic

fluoropolymer of TFE. It exists as a white powder at room temperature and has a waxy
appearance. PTFE is very tough, flexible and acts as a good electrical insulator. The
surface energy and coefficient of friction are both very low, the latter being the lowest of
any solid. The combination of low surface energy coefficient and low friction coefficient
gives PTFE an excellent non-stick characteristic, one which gives the defining value in its
everyday use. It also has an excellent chemical resistance to a variety of reagents, with
the exception of molten alkali metals and fluorine. To date, there is no known solvent for
this PTFE.

PTFE is commonly produced through the polymerization of the monomer, TFE.

Although the structure of the monomer would convey thermoplastic characteristic to the
polymer, PTFE does not show conventional melting behavior nor does it liquefy during
heating. However, it forms a high-viscous translucent substance which fractures rather
than flows when a specific amount of force is exerted onto it (Nicholson, 2012).

2
 Figure 1.2: Chemical structure of PTFE.

Table 1.1: Properties of PTFE (Crown Plastics Inc, 2016).

Physical
Density (g/cm3) 2.16
Water absorption, 24 hours (%) <0.01
Mechanical
Tensile strength (psi) 3,900
Tensile modulus (psi) 80,000
Tensile elongation at break (%) 300
Flexural strength (psi) No break
Flexural modulus (psi) 72,000
Compressive strength (psi) 3,500
Hardness, Shore D 70,000
Thermal
Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion 7.5
Heat Deflection Temperature (C) at 264 55
psi
Melting Temperature (C) 335
Maximum Operating Temperature (C) 260
Thermal Conductivity in:
(BTU-in/ft2-hr-F) 1.7
(x10-4cal/cm-sec-C) 5.86

1.1.3 Applications

Since its discovery in 1938, PTFE has been used in a wide scope of field, ranging from
industrial processes to commercial and household appliances. However, PTFE is
famously known as Teflon a trademark product from DuPont Company. The non-
sticking and slippery properties make it an ideal coating to be used by the kitchen utensil

3
manufactures for the production of non-stick pans and other utensils.

Besides the two main characteristics, PTFE also has other unique features that have
been exploited in many ways as it has high temperature resistance, high melting point,
low reactivity to most chemicals as well as water-resistance. These properties make
PTFE a useful substance in a number of applications, some of which are as listed below:

i) Petrochemical and chemical processing

PTFE is used widely chosen in the use for gaskets, vessel linings, pump interiors,
washers, rings, seals, spacers, dip tubes and well-drilling components. PTFE is chosen
since it is resistance to corrosion and chemically inert (Mishra and Yagci, 2008)

ii) Electrical applications

PTFE is considered one of the best insulators. It has the capability to insulate up to 500
volts per mil (V/mil) and more in terms of dielectric strength. It is commonly used in wire
and cable wrap, and to separate conductive surfaces in capacitors.

Practically, PTFE are made into shapes of thick walled close-tolerance extruded
tubing whereby it can be able to machine or drill long lengths to close tolerances. PTFE
also can be machined into standoff insulators, and many different types of high voltage
encapsulation devices for electrical components (Mishra and Yagci, 2008)

iii) Semi-Conductor Industry

PTFE is inert and its operating temperature range from -350F to 500F. PTFE is the
material of choice for various goods which are commonly used in chip manufacturing
including encapsulation devices for quartz heaters (Mishra and Yagci, 2008)

4
iv) Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical industries

Virgin PTFE can also be use in food, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceutical
industries. It provides a thin film and sheets that make an inert and non-toxic slide
surface without microscopic depressions which microbes can grow in such environment.
Conveyance components are able to withstand high temperatures inside baking and
drying ovens as well as heated segments of the food, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals
manufacturing processes.

PTFE coatings are important in the pharmaceutical industry since it provides an ease
to clean and purge braid seals as well as to strengthen the system. The pharmaceutical
industry uses a very high standards for all materials within it and PTFE meets the
particular requirement (Mishra and Yagci, 2008)

v) Laboratory applications

PTFE piping, tubing and vessels are used in various laboratory wares. This statement is
true due to PTFEs resistance to chemicals, inertness and the absences of contaminants
on the surface of PTFE products (Mishra and Yagci, 2008)

vi) PTFE Compounds

Various type of fillers can be easily blended with PTFE base resin to enhance properties
of glass or bronze fillers for instance .Fillers can be improve by PTFE to add stiffness
and strength, carbon fillers for conductivity, and moly blends for added lubricity. PTFE
does not melt however it cannot be molded into complex shapes, but must be machined.

PTFE is easily machined using standard mechanical woodworking and stamping

equipment and tooling. Most shapes are sold slightly oversized for easy trimming and
machining to exact size.

1.2 PROCESS SELECTION

PTFE can be produced from a variety of polymerization processes namely,

Polymerization in Solution and CO2, Photo-Initiated Polymerization, Suspension
Polymerization and Dispersion Polymerization. The four methods will be compared side
by side according to a set of criteria and scored from 1 5 (with 1 being the least
preferable and 5 being the most preferable) to determine to the best production method.

5
The process with highest score will be selected for the production of PTFE.

1.2.1 Dispersion Polymerization

Dispersion polymerization is the polymerization of TFE to produce fine powders of PTFE

with the help of an initiator such as ammonium persulfate or potassium persulfate.
Polymerization of TFE by dispersion is a highly controlled regime as it will produce PTFE
particles ranging from 0.05-0.3m. (Teflon Product Information, 1997). TFE is
produced by thermal decomposition of chlorodifluoromethane at 850 to 900C. After the
decomposition process, molecules of HCl are removed from TFE through stages of
purification (Edwards, 1967).

During polymerization of TFE, dispersion polymers are converted into water

dispersed latex particles under the influence of mild agitation at temperature between 0
to 95C and pressure of 0.3 to 2.4 MPa (Ebnesajjad, ,2016). The water content in PTFE
product from dispersion should be minimized to decrease transportation cost, therefore
heat is used to evaporate the excess water. The powders then agglomerate into a free
flowing fine powder. PTFE dispersions with solid content up to 65% are commonly used
for coating or metal surfaces and fiberglass. The storage of PTFE product should be
below 25C to prevent certain form of deterioration (Saunders, n.d.).

The mechanism for the chemical reaction for dispersion polymerization of TFE to
PTFE are explained by Ebnesajjad (2016) as follows:

Chloroform preparation:
CH 4 ( g )+ 3Cl 2 ( g ) CHCl3 ( g ) +3 HCl(g)
Methane ChlorineChloroform Hydrochloric Acid

Chlorodifluoromethane preparation:
CHCl3 ( g ) +2 HF ( g ) CHClF 2 ( g ) +2 HCl( g)
Chloroform Hydrogen Fluoride Chlorodifluoromethane Hydrochloric Acid

TFE synthesis:

6
 2CHClF 2 ( g ) C2 F 2 + HCl(g)

ChlorodifluoromethaneTFE Hydrochloric Acid

Polymerization of TFE:

C2 F 4 ( g) H 2 O, initiator ( C 2 F 4 )n ( s)

TFE PTFE

Figure 1.3: Process Flow Diagram for Dispersion Polymerization

1.2.2 Suspension Polymerization

The two forms of PTFE that are most commonly manufactured are granular and fine
powder. Granular PTFE can be produced by suspension polymerization in an aqueous
medium with little or no dispersing agent according toTeng(2012) while under the effect
of vigorous agitation at elevated temperature and pressure as mentioned by Ebnesajjad
(2013). Granular PTFE is widely used for compression molding, isostatic molding and
ram extrusion.

The process of suspension polymerization is almost identical to dispersion

polymerization as it involves the use of an initiator to polymerize TFE into PTFE and

7
same arrangement of equipment. The parameters that differentiate between these two
processes are the operating temperature, operating pressure, agitation speed, initiation
concentration, presence of surfactant, mode of operation and batch size.

Figure 1.4:Polymerization of TFE into PTFE.

A typical suspension polymerization begins with the charging of highly purified

water into a reactor, which is equipped with a stirrer, followed by evacuation and
pressurization with TFE. Figure 1.5 illustrates the typical set up of the reactor.
Polymerization of TFE takes place under constant pressure to control the molecular
weight throughout the process and is held constant by feeding monomer into the reactor.
The content of the reactor is vigorously agitated at 600 rpm (Ebnesajjad, 2013).

Figure 1.5: Typical Suspension Polymerization Reactor (Ebnesajjad, 2013).

An important parameter to consider during suspension polymerization is the
temperature as it can affect the size of granules produced. Temperature is controlled by
adjusting the temperature of a cooling jacket surrounding the reactor. The initiator
performance and temperature are interrelated whereby ionic inorganic initiators such as
ammonium persulfate, alkali metal persulfates, potassium and lithium persulfates would
be effective in the range of 40Cto 90C. The polymerization process is stopped after a

8
certain product weight has been reached. At the end of the polymerization cycle, the
pressure is reduced and agitation stopped. After the reactor is vented and cooled down,
the granular product is recovered.(Ebnesajjad, 2013)

Fig
ure 1.6: Process Flow Diagram of Suspension Polymerization

1.2.3 Photo-Initiated Polymerization

For this process, TFE is synthesized in mercury to produce perfluorocyclopropane as the

main product and PTFE as the by-product. Prior to the synthesis process, TFE is purified
which then undergoes photolysis in the presence of mercury in a 5 cm diameter and long
quartz cell. The cell is then wrapped in a 10 cm long asbestos inside an aluminium oven.
Hanovia low-medium pressure spiral-shaped mercury-resonance arc is placed at one of
the end of cell for irradiation (Dennis Saunders & Julian Heicklen, 1964).

The photolysis of TFE is carried out at temperature from 21 to 224C. Initiator such
as iodomethane, bromoethane and pentafluorooidoethane are used but it only produces
a small amount oily product and small yield of PTFEas it is mainly produced at a lab-
scale (Cohen and Heicklen, 1965). The chemical reaction mechanism for Photo-Initiated
Polymerization as stated by Cohen &Heicklen (1965) is shown below:-

Hghv Hg

Mercury photolysis Mercury

9
 HgC 2 F 4 Hg+ 2C F 2

Mercury TFE Mercury Difluoromethane

2C F 2 C2 F 4

Difluoromethane TFE
C F 2+C 2 F 4 CC 3 F 6 + ( C 2 F 4 )n

Difluoromethane TFE Hexaflurobutadiene PTFE

1.2.4 Polymerization in Solution and Carbon Dioxide

This type of polymerization is generally not practiced because the PTFE precipitation
formed is unable to be further processed. For this process, highly fluorinated
hydrocarbon such as hexafluoropropene and chlorodifluorohydrocarbons are used as the
solvent. The solution polymerization can be initiated by introducing gamma ( rays
and UV irradiation. It is reported that large amount of carboxylic end groups need
complex post-polymerization treatments if copolymerization in aqueous media is used
(Decker C, 1999).

More regular colloidal PTFE could be prepared in a batch reactor using

supercritical CO2 (scCO2) by adding copolymers of TFE with perfluoro-propylvinylether
(PPVE) or hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and bis-perfluoro-2-propoxypropionyl peroxide
(BPPP) as a free radical initiator. The chemical equation for the process is as shown in
Figure 1.7.

Figure 1.7: Copolymerization of TFE and PPVE in scCO2.

1.3 SELECTION CRITERIA

For the process selection, eight criteria have been chosen to be used as a comparison

10
between the available processes. A number will be assigned for each criterion to
determine the ranking of each process. The scores are given with the number five (5)
being the best and number one (1) being the worst. The criteria to be evaluated are raw
materials, catalyst/initiator, by-product, type of reactor, operating temperature, operating
pressure, safety, demand and manufacturing practicability.

i) Raw material

For any process, raw material is required in order to produce the desired product.
Therefore, when choosing between several available processes, it is always preferable
to select the process with the least and most common raw material as it is cheaper and
can be easily obtained.

ii) Catalyst/Initiator

A catalyst or initiator is a substance that is used to either increase, decrease or inhibits a

certain process. A catalyst can be re-used time and again until it reaches the end of its
lifespan while not affecting the process chemically; meanwhile an initiator is involved in
the chemical reaction and can only be used once. For process selection, it is wise to
select method with a catalyst that is readily available, inexpensive and can optimize the
production performance.

iii) By-product

Certain processes produce undesired products which are harmful, toxic and hazardous
to the environment and health. These unwanted components are commonly referred as
by-products and are ideally avoided from being produced in the process.

iv) Type of reactor

The reactor is typically referred to as the heart for any chemical manufacturing process.
There are many types of reactor that can be used for the conversion of a raw material to
the desired product. Amongst the commonly used reactors are CSTR, PFR, packed bed
reactor, fluidized bed reactor and many more. Hence, it is crucial to identify the suitable
type of reactor to be used for each process and evaluate based on the maintenance,
price and operating costs.

11
v) Operating condition

Operating condition such as temperature and pressure is the key to the success of a
manufacturing process. However, certain processes require conditions which are
different from normal conditions which will be more costly and harder to control.
Therefore, a process which operates at a reasonably normal condition should be
considered first before selecting the others.

vi) Safety

Safety plays an important role in any manufacturing industry. In process selection, it is

advisable to choose a process which strays from the usage of harmful substances such
as mercury, radiation or any other hazardous material.

vii) Demand

The main purpose of producing a product is to supply the demand and fulfill the
requirements of the market. Therefore, demand of the final product should be assessed
thoroughly before selecting the process.

viii) Manufacturing Capability

Factors in designing chemical plant such as economical, efficient process and most
importantly can produce desired amount of product is crucial. Hence, the process that
satisfies the factors will be chosen to be implemented in the chemical plant.

12
1.3.1 Summary of the Available Processes

Table 1.2: Summary of Available Processes for Production of PTFE.

Methods Dispersion Suspension Polymerization in Photo-initiated
Polymerization Polymerization Solution and Carbon Polymerization
Dioxide
Raw materials Chlorodifluoromethane Chlorofifluoromethane TFE, TFE, Mercury Bromide,
Hexafluoropropene, Phosgene, and Nitrous
PPVE and BPPP Oxide
Catalyst/Initiator Ammonium persulfate Ammonium persulfate Gamma rays or UV UV light or LED
or Benzoyl Peroxide or Benzoyl Peroxide irradiation
By-product Hydrochloric acid (HCl) Hydrochloric acid (HCl) Polymers with PTFE (small amount)
significant amount of
carboxylic end groups
Type of Reactor CSTR with semi batch Semi batch reactor (with Batch reactor or -
or continuous operation vigorous agitation) Autoclave high
(with mild agitation) pressure
Reaction Temperature 50 to 85C 65C 100 C 150 C

Reaction Pressure 3 to 24 bar 17 bar 50 to 65 bar More than 1 bar

Safety Ammonium persulfate Ammonium persulfate Gamma rays can cause Mercury is a type of
can give bad impact to can give bad impact to stochastic health. poisoning metal. The
the environment the environment toxic can damage
kidneys and brains.
Demand Fine powder PTFE Granular PTFE Not highly demand due Small amount of PTFE

13
 emerged as the leading emerged as the leading to no practical value being produced since
product about 50% in product about 33% of since the precipitate of Perfluorocyclopropane
automotive industries total PTFE market. PTFE cannot be further is the main product.
processed.
Manufacturing Practical Practical Lab scale only Lab scale only
Practicability

14
 Table 1.3: Advantages and disadvantages of each process.
Process/Traits Advantages Disadvantages
Dispersion Fine powder PTFE When the agitation
polymerization fibrillates (a process which speed is at extremely
will form fibres) above its high condition, the
ambient transition particle diameter tend to
temperature. Thus, the increase while
tendency to fibrillate is polymerization rate
controllable. reduces (Kim et al.,
1998)
Semi-batch polymerization is
acceptable to use on a wide At extreme reaction
range of compositions, condition, the
including with a very slow polymerization rate
polymerization rates reduces as the polymer
(Ebnesajjad, 2013) . particles coagulated
during polymerization.
Coagulation leads to a
decrease in the surface
area of the particle,
resulting in a decrease in
the rate of supply of the
monomer and initiating
radicals from the aqueous
phase.
Suspension Granular PTFE can be Without regular
polymerization handled at different ambient surveillance, the
temperatures without much development of hot
difficulty, although it spots on the reactor wall
becomes sticky at certain can result in
temperatures. deflagration; exothermic
and explosive.
The system requires no
surfactants, which are At some point, as the
difficult to remove from the temperature is not in
product. within the range (lower
temperature), the
No ionic end groups present
effectiveness of
which may be unstable

15
 during processing at high persulfate may
temperatures (Ebnesajjad, diminished due to
2013). insufficient decomposition
rate (Ebnesajjad &
Morgan, 2011).
Polymerization Without any diluents, TFE Amorphous precipitation
in Solution of forms explosive mixture often leads to undefined
Carbon Dioxide with air. Thus, handling TFE morphologies and
with sufficient amount of shows low degrees of
CO2 offers much safer polymerization in
alternative; forming a several cases
pseudoazeotrope. (Desimone, n.d.).

The removal of CO2 from the The only other solvent to

TFE/CO2 mixture is not use for the fluorination of
necessary when using CO2 materials is the
as a polymerization medium chlorofluorocarbon, CFCs
(Du et al., 2009) (Cooper, 2000) which will
cause the depletion of the
ozone layer.
Photo-Initiated The polymer formed by Most halocarbon tested
Polymerization photo-initiated (which act as an
polymerisation will excellent initiator) do
thoroughly dispersed on all not form a polymer
internal surface of the characteristic. For
reactor (Kricheldorf et al., example; 1,2-
2004). dibromotetrafluoroethan
e shows no polymer
Friendly type of technique;
formation while CCl4,
operates at room
iodomethane,
temperature, solvent-free
bromoethane,
formulation and low energy
iodoethane, bromo-
consumption (Shirai, 2014).
trifluoromethane and
pentafluoroiodoethane
yielded only oily
products (Kricheldorf et
al., 2004).

16
 Effective type of lamp
used, LED, which is the
most energy-saving light
source and able to emit
shorter wavelengths of
light ( < 365 nm) is
not commercially
available yet (Shirai,
2014).

17
1.3.2 Scoring Analysis

Table 1.4: Scoring Analysis for Each Method

Dispersion Suspension Polymerization in Photo-initiated
Methods Polymerization Polymerization Solution and Carbon Polymerization
Dioxide

Raw material 5 4 2 2
Catalyst 4 4 2 3
By-product 3 3 2 2
Reactor used 5 4 3 1
Reaction Temperature 5 4 3 2
Reaction pressure 4 3 2 4
Safety 4 4 2 2
Demand 5 4 2 2
Manufacturing Practicability 5 5 1 1
TOTAL SCORE 40 35 19 19

Definition Most Preferable Good Moderate Poor Least Preferable

Rate 5 4 3 2 1

18
 Based on the criteria and scoring carried out in the Table 1.3, dispersion
polymerization is chosen as the best method to produce PTFE leading with 40 points
ahead of the other methods.

In terms of demand, the product from dispersion polymerization has higher value
compared to suspension polymerization, photo-initiated polymerization and
polymerization in solution and carbon dioxide. This is because dispersion polymerization
produces finer particles which is approximately 0.05 m compared to suspension
polymerization that is 25 to 500 m. Fine powders PTFE are easier to mold to desired
end products. In addition, photo-initiated polymerization and polymerization in solution
and carbon dioxide produces only small amounts of PTFE as both processes are used
for lab-scale production.

Besides, the reactor cost for suspension polymerization is higher in the long term
compared to dispersion polymerization. This is due to the vigorous agitation involved in
the suspension polymerization whereby high amount of energy is consumed. The
vigorous agitation can also lead to higher amount of maintenance cost as it would
require regular service compared to mild agitation in dispersion polymerization.

19
1.4 CONSIDERATIONSFOR PRODUCTION OF PTFE

Among the crucial factors to consider when designing a plant for the production of PTFE is
safety. The monomer TFE is a highly flammable and may explode when exposed to air.
Therefore, for this Design Project, we propose to produce the monomer instead of
purchasing it by using chlorodifluoromethane as the raw material. As opposed to TFE,
chlorodifluoromethane is nonflammable and does not explode easily.

Apart from that, chlorodifluoromethane can be obtained through either import or

produced locally from the reaction between hydrogen fluoride and chloroform. After careful
consideration, the former option is chosen as it provides better cost-saving by minimizing
the number of equipment involved and process simplification whereby purification processes
can be reduced.

1.5 ASSUMPTIONS FOR PRODUCTION OF PTFE

As basis for the production capacity of the plant, 20,000 metric ton per annum is selected.
The value is based on the amount of PTFE produced in China, the leading producer of the
compound globally (MATRADE, 2016). Also, since the plant aims to produce a large amount
of PTFE, it will operate in a continuous mode of operation. The plant is designed to operate
for 10 years with an additional 2 years spent for the plant start up and construction. Hence,
the total years of plant life is 12 years. The plant will continuously operate for 11 months in a
year whereby one month is allocated for shut down process and annual leaves.

1.6 LIMITATIONS FOR PRODUCTION OF PTFE

Among the limitations faced when designing a plant for the production of PTFE is the supply
of raw material as well as other supporting materials. Based on the market data obtained
from MATRADE, the amount of raw material chlorodifluoromethane and initiator benzoyl
peroxode produced in Malaysia are inadequate to meet the targeted production capacity.
Hence, the materials will have to be imported from China which serves as the primary
supplier.

20
1.7 PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAM

Figure 1.8: Process flow diagram for production of PTFE using Aspen HYSYS.

21
Figure 1.9: Process flow diagram for production of PTFE.

22
1.8 PROCESS DESCRIPTION

The raw material used for the production of PTFE is chlorodifluoromethane (CHClF 2). The
material is stored within a pressurized vessel at 15 bar and 25C to maintain it in liquid phase as
this allows for easier storage and transportation. Upon exiting the tank, the pressure of CHClF 2 is
reduced to 12 bar using a valve to prevent damage to the upcoming equipment due to sudden
inflow of high pressure liquid.

The stream is then heated to 450C as a preparatory step before entering a tubular reactor
(Ebnesajjad, 2013). Within the reactor, gaseous CHClF 2 undergoes pyrolysis reaction and is
converted to TFE (C2F4) alongside hydrochloric acid (HCl) as the side product. When operating
at 810C and 6.55 bar, a conversion of 100% can be achieved as stated by (Ebnesajjad, 2016)

The product stream containing TFE and HCl is then condensed to liquid state before
entering a distillation column for purification and separation. Since HCl has a lower boiling point
than TFE, it will exit through the overhead stream meanwhile TFE exits through the bottom
stream. The separation produces product streams containing 99.9% w/w HCl and 99.5% w/w
TFE, respectively.

The purified HCl is then diluted with water and sold as a second source of revenue.
Meanwhile, the purified TFE is fed to a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) for polymerization
reaction and produce PTFE. Additionally, water and benzoyl peroxide are added to the reaction
which acts as the solvent and organic initiator, respectively (Ebnesajjad, 2013). According to
(Mori, Tsuchiya, & Okahata, 2005), the conversion can achieve as high as 80% and produce
PTFE ranging between 10,000 g/mol to 1,000,000 g/mol.

The product stream is then fed to a mixing tank whereby a surfactant, sodium borate is
added to reduce the interfacial tension and form a stable colloidal dispersion of PTFE.
(Fernandez & Jebbanema, 2007). The sludge-like stream is subsequently transported using an
extruder to a filter press to remove unwanted components (waste stream) from PTFE.

The discharged waste stream containing unreacted TFE, HCl and water is purified using
two distillation columns whereby TFE and HCl are recycled back into the process meanwhile
water is sent to a water treatment facility. The solid PTFE is then transferred onto a conveyer belt
and dried to remove residual moisture and achieve the desired 99% purity.

23
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