PLASTIC MACHINING WITH CTFE/KEL-F PLASTIC

Pete Poodiack, VP of Sales and Marketing at Controlled Fluidics, talks about CTFE/KEL-F plastic and what makes it a popular material for plastic machining and fabrication.

This video is about chlorotrifluoroethylene, which we call CTFE. It’s also known by the name KEL-F. That’s a combination of “Kellogg” and “fluoropolymer” and it was the brand name of this material when it was created by 3M decades ago. Technically, the KEL-F name isn’t in use anymore, but some people are used to saying that. So we call this material CTFE or KEL-F.

Let’s talk about the details. CTFE is a dimensionally stable, rigid polymer. It has near-zero moisture absorption and excellent chemical resistance. Notably, it can handle a wide range of operating temperatures from negative 400 degrees Fahrenheit to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. That makes CTFE great for challenging environments with a high risk of chemical exposure and temperature changes.

At Controlled Fluidics, the clients that we see use this material the most often include people from the aerospace, life search, and research industries. It’s also popular for food and pharmaceutical applications.

This only covers the basics. Learn more about CTFE/KEL-F Plastic on our materials page.