PTFE membrane material debuted at the Asian Games!

Recently, the Hangzhou Asian Games are in full swing. In preparation for the Asian Games, the Hangzhou government also invested heavily in building many venues, many of which contain the presence of "polymer materials". For example, the baseball (softball) sports and cultural center of the Hangzhou Asian Games is the largest newly built venue for this Asian Games. Among them, the membrane roofs of the baseball main stadium, auxiliary stadium, and softball main stadium adopt a PTFE membrane structure with water wave patterns, making the entire building both tensile and floating, bringing people a light and comfortable urban image.

                                                                                                What is PTFE?

 PTFE, also known as "polytetrafluoroethylene" or "plastic king", is a polymer synthesized by polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene as a monomer. Polytetrafluoroethylene is a white powder or granular semi transparent crystal with a crystallinity of 90% -95%. PTFE has two phase transition points, the first transition occurs at about 19 ℃, and the second transition (including crystalline phase) occurs at about 30 ℃. Its melting point is 327 ℃, boiling point is 400 ℃, and it remains brittle at low temperatures. It maintains excellent mechanical properties over a wide range of -196-260 ℃. Refractive index 1.35, density 2.1-2.3g/cm ² (Solid), non hygroscopic, insoluble in strong acids, bases, and organic solvents. The surface tension is very small, does not adhere to any substance, and has good non adhesion and insulation properties. It is widely used in fields such as petrochemical, mechanical, electronic and electrical, and construction.

How to prepare PTFE membrane materials?

PTFE membrane materials mainly consist of glass fiber substrate and PTFE coating. PTFE has stable chemical properties, resistance to humidity changes and damage from organic substances, fire resistance, and is not prone to aging. After coating, it can improve the tensile strength and elastic coefficient of the fabric. The production process of PTFE membrane materials mainly includes:

1. Mixing: Mix polytetrafluoroethylene resin with solvent to form a liquid paste.

2. Coating: Use a scraper or other coating method to apply liquid paste onto supporting materials, such as woven or non-woven fabrics or films.

3. Drying: Dry the supporting material of the coating to remove solvent and cure the PTFE film.

4. Sintering: Then, the dried membrane is sintered at high temperature, fusing PTFE particles together to form a microporous structure.

5. Surface treatment (optional): The surface of PTFE film can be treated using plasma or chemical processes to change its performance, such as enhancing its hydrophilicity or adding functional groups for specific applications.

After these steps, the PTFE film can be further processed into various shapes and sizes according to specific application requirements, such as sheet shape, disc shape, or tube shape.

At present, 3-micron glass fibers are used internationally, and in China, there is still a transition from 6-micron technology to 3-micron technology; Compared to the two, 3-micron glass fiber has higher strength and is less prone to breakage during construction and use, resulting in better membrane quality.

What is the strength of PTFE membrane material?

PTFE membrane material is a composite material processed by coating PTFE resin on ultrafine glass fiber fabric. Generally speaking, the smaller the diameter of the glass fiber, the higher its strength. Therefore, ultrafine glass fibers can not only meet weaving requirements but also provide appropriate strength for membrane materials.

In addition, the breaking strength of PTFE/fiberglass membrane materials is determined by the substrate, and the high strength and low elongation of fiberglass enable the membrane material to have good tensile strength and tear resistance, without significant stress relaxation and creep even under long-term loads.

The flame retardancy of PTFE and the non flammability of glass fibers make the membrane material excellent in flame retardancy. At the same time, PTFE membrane material is resistant to low temperatures and can be used for a long time at -180~260 ℃.

PTFE/fiberglass membrane material is not easily adhered to other substances, and even with a small amount of dust and stains on the surface, it can achieve self-cleaning effect after being washed by rainwater. PTFE film has good transmittance to sunlight, and the diffuse reflection of sunlight inside can create excellent visual effects during the day.