Alfalon® PFA

We supply PFA virgin materials, both prime and off-spec, in both pellet and powder form with Melt Flow Rates ranging from 2 to 22.

• PFA Spec (PDF)

Perfluoroalkoxy or PFA is a fluoropolymer similar in many ways to PTFE. The main differences between PFA and PTFE are as follows :

• It can be extruded using normal processes whereas PTFE cannot.
• It has lower tensile strength, elongation and is less tolerant of repeated flexing. However, it has higher flexural modulus and impact.
• Although coefficient of friction is quite low, PTFE is better.
• Melting point is also lower and PFA tends to be softer. While PTFE has better high temperature resistance than PFA, PFA in turn is usually preferred over FEP at higher temperatures.
• Chemical properties are quite similar although weather resistance, while still excellent, is usually not as good as PTFE.
• Perhaps the most impressive feature of PFA has excellent electrical properties : similar dielectric constant to PTFE, higher dissipation factor, and a much higher dielectric strength.
• PFA is optically transparent whereas PTFE is white.

PFA is used for plastic labware and tubing that involves critical or highly corrosive processes. Another common application is chemical equipment lining - chemical reactors, scrubbers, piping - where the environment is demanding due to presence of strong acids or halogens.

PFA is a copolymer made with the monomers TFE, (tetra-fluoro-ethylene) and per-fluoro-alkyl-vinyl-ethers. The ether is usually a blend of methyl, ethyl and propyl, (MVE, EVE, PVE) to get the required properties melting point, flex, tensile etc. The chemical formula above shows the methyl co-polymer only.

Alfalon® PFA-M

When only the MVE is used, we have PFA-M which is a cheaper form of PFA. It has most of the properties of standard PFA except that the melting point is a bit lower. It sits between FEP and PFA in this respect. PFA-M is available in a range of melt-flow rates and also as a powder.

• PFA-M Spec (PDF)