FEP

FEP, fluorinated ethylene propylene, has all the desirable properties of TFE (PTFE) but with a lower survive temperature of 200 degrees C (392 degrees F). Unlike TFE, FEP can be injection molded and extruded by conventional methods into rods, tubes, and special profiles. This becomes a design and processing advantage over TFE.

It is like TFE in that it is a soft material with low tensile strength, and low wear resistance. FEP is chemically inert and insoluble in all but a few exotic solvents. Like TFE, FEP is manufactured by DuPont and sold under the name of Teflon.

In direct comparison to TFE, FEP has a lower heat resistance (+400 degrees F to +550 degrees F), a higher coefficient of friction and poorer wear resistance. They are similar in their electrical properties, chemical inertness, strength, moisture absorption, and anti-stick characteristics.

Applications include electronic items such as wire covering and spaghetti tubing linings for pipes in the chemical industry, aircraft wiring, and glazing for solar energy collectors.