Polyvinyl fluoride

Polyvinyl fluoride or –(CH₂CHF)_n– is a polymer

Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...

 material mainly used in flammability-lowering coating of airplane interiors and photovoltaic module

Photovoltaic module

A solar panel is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells...

 backsheets. It is also used in raincoats and metal sheeting. Polyvinyl fluoride is a thermoplastic

Thermoplastic

Thermoplastic, also known as a thermosoftening plastic, is a polymer that turns to a liquid when heated and freezes to a very glassy state when cooled sufficiently...

 fluoropolymer

Fluoropolymer

A fluoropolymer is a fluorocarbon based polymer with multiple strong carbon–fluorine bonds. It is characterized by a high resistance to solvents, acids, and bases.-History:Fluoropolymers were accidentally discovered in 1938 by Dr. Roy J...

 with the repeating vinyl fluoride

Vinyl fluoride

Vinyl fluoride is an organic halide with the chemical formula C2H3F. It is a colorless gas with a faint etherlike odor. It is used as the monomeric precursor to the fluoropolymer polyvinylfluoride.-Production:...

 unit:

It is structurally very similar to polyvinyl chloride

Polyvinyl chloride

Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...

.

PVF has low permeability for vapors, burns very slowly, and has excellent resistance to weathering

Weathering

Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils and minerals as well as artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters...

 and staining. It is also resistant to most chemicals, except ketones and esters. It is available as a film in a variety of colors, and formulations for various end uses, and as a resin for specialty coatings. It has insufficient thermal stability for injection moulding

Injection moulding

Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials. Material is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity...

 and thus it is usually available commercially as a film product.

PVF is also used as whiteboard surface material and has recently been used as part of the Phoenix Mars Lander's biobarrier.

Related compounds

• Vinyl fluoride
  Vinyl fluoride
  Vinyl fluoride is an organic halide with the chemical formula C2H3F. It is a colorless gas with a faint etherlike odor. It is used as the monomeric precursor to the fluoropolymer polyvinylfluoride.-Production:...
  
  
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride
  Polyvinyl chloride
  Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
  
  )
• PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride
  Polyvinylidene fluoride
  Polyvinylidene fluoride, or PVDF is a highly non-reactive and pure thermoplastic fluoropolymer.PVDF is a specialty plastic material in the fluoropolymer family; it is used generally in applications requiring the highest purity, strength, and resistance to solvents, acids, bases and heat and low...
  
  )
• PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene
  Polytetrafluoroethylene
  Polytetrafluoroethylene is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that finds numerous applications. PTFE is most well known by the DuPont brand name Teflon....
  
  or Teflon)

External links

• Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride (PVF)
• polyvinyl fluoride (PVF)