Materials database

Polyphenylene Ether/Oxide — an amorphous engineering thermoplastic. Pure PPO is too brittle and difficult to process, so commercial grades are always blends with polystyrene, HIPS, or polyamide, sold under the Noryl brand (invented by General Electric in the 1960s, now owned by SABIC). Outstanding dimensional stability, low moisture absorption (<0.1%), excellent electrical insulation properties, inherent flame retardancy. Service temperature up to 105°C (unmodified) or higher with glass fiber reinforcement. Typical applications: automotive instrument panels, electrical enclosures, water pumps, solar junction boxes, 5G telecom components, fuel cell plates.

Polytetrafluoroethylene — the most chemically resistant polymer. Lowest friction coefficient of any solid material (~0.05-0.10). Service range -240°C to +260°C continuous. Cannot be melt-processed — must be sintered from powder (like ceramics). Very low mechanical strength. Trade name Teflon (Chemours/DuPont). Used for seals, gaskets, bearings, non-stick coatings, chemical reactor linings, electrical insulation, and lab equipment.

Polyvinylidene Fluoride — the melt-processable fluoropolymer. Bridges the gap between PTFE (non-melt-processable) and conventional plastics. Excellent chemical resistance to acids, solvents, and hydrocarbons. Uniquely piezoelectric among polymers. Much stronger than PTFE (UTS 50 vs 25 MPa). Trade names include Kynar (Arkema), Solef/Hylar (Solvay), KF (Kureha). Used for chemical piping/valves/tanks, lithium-ion battery binder, semiconductor wet bench, architectural coatings (Kynar 500), and piezoelectric sensors.