Fluoropolymers for Plumbing 

Due to their chemical inertness, fluoropolymers have been extensively used for liquid transport in the chemical industry as lining materials to protect metallic piping systems against corrosion or as monolayer pressure resistant piping systems.

Solef® PVDF and Halar® ECTFE

Solef® PVDF is a semi-crystalline, melt-processable fluoropolymer that offers excellent resistance to oxidizing chemicals and barrier properties combined with exceptional fatigue resistance and long-term hydrostatic strength. It has been used successfully in domestic water supply applications for nearly 20 years and has an equally impressive track record in the chemical, semiconductor, and oil and gas industries.

Plumbing applications for Solef® PVDF include:

• Drinking Water – Fittings & Manifolds
• Heating Systems – Fittings & Manifolds
• Taps & Shower Valves – Cartridges & Valve Bodies
• Boilers & Meters – Components
• Industrial Systems – Pipes & Valves

Halar® ECTFE is a partially fluorinated melt-processable polymer that fills the performance gap between PVDF and fully fluorinated polymers. Its exceptional resistance to oxidizers makes it suitable for piping applications in even the harshest chemical environments.

Plumbing applications for Halar® ECTFE include Pipes and Valves for Industrial Systems.

Key Features

• Excellent resistance to chemicals and hot chlorinated water
• Outstanding long-term hydrostatic strength
• Exceptional fatigue resistance
• Good barrier properties against a broad range of chemicals
• UV resistance for outdoor applications
• Smooth surface prevents biofilm adhesion
• Resistant to flame propagation

Solef® PVDF Offers Outstanding Long-Term
Hydrostatic Strength

The lower prediction limits extrapolated to 50 years time are 25 MPa at 20°C and 10 MPa at 80°C.

Excellent Chemical Resistance and Barrier Properties

The presence of fluorine monomer and the high crystallinity of Solef® PVDF make it extremely resistant to a broad range of chemicals. These attributes also give the material outstanding barrier properties against water vapor, oxygen and methane to help preserve the integrity of closed systems.

Solef® PVDF is a semi-crystalline, melt-processable fluoropolymer that offers excellent resistance to many chemicals as well as outstanding barrier properties to oxygen. It has exceptional performance in long-term hydrostatic strength, can be used up to 120°C, offers outstanding fatigue resistance and a low friction coefficient.

Solef® 80 000 series expanded PVDF is ideally suited for insulation of piping systems which may need to conform to ever increasing standards of fire performance under the construction products directive. Thanks to the inherent advantages of a high performance fire-retardant, insulating foam, a complex pipe system can be easily and efficiently insulated and simply maintained.

The molding technology allows for extremely complex systems to be moulded in one shot using aluminium tooling for cost effective manufacture.