PVDF (Polyvinylidinefluoride)

Molded/Extruded PVDF

PVDF with Carbon Fiber

Virgin PVDF

Applications

• PVDF resins for melt processing are available in powder or pellet form and have a wide range of melt viscosities. Low-viscosity grades are used for injection molding of complex parts, while low-viscosity grades have high enough melt strength and can be used for extrusion of profiles, bars, pipes, tubes, films, wire insulation and monofilaments.
• PVDF can be used in food contact, so it can be used in fluid handling equipment and filters in the food, pharmaceutical and biochemical industries.
• PVDF meets the high purity standards required for semiconductor manufacturing and is therefore used in fluid handling systems in the semiconductor industry. PVDF is also used to make microporous and ultrafiltration membranes.

Figure 1. Micrographs of the cross-sections of 0.5 PES/PVDF blend membrane modified under different grafting times [1]

• In the electrical and electronic industries, PVDF is used as the main insulator for computer cables. Irradiated (cross-linked) PVDF jackets are used in industrial control wiring and self-limiting heat tracing tapes used to control the temperature of process equipment and ordnance. Extruded and irradiated heat shrinkable tubes are used in the production of terminal equipment for aircraft and electronic equipment. Due to its very high dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor, the use of PVDF insulation is limited to low-frequency conductors.
• Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) scaffolds have potential in bone tissue engineering applications. PVDF is being studied as a potential scaffold for bone tissue engineering because of its proven biocompatibility and piezoelectric properties, where it can generate electrical activity when mechanically deformed.

Figure 2. SEM images (20 000X) of electrospun PVDF scaffolds with Voltage from 12 kV to 30 kV (scale bar: 1 μm) [2]

• PVDF can be made into very thin (50 μm) piezoelectric polymer films, which are used to build model thrust bearings. The flexibility of the PVDF film makes it easy to install in a limited space such as the inside of a thrust bearing, so as to directly measure the force fluctuations caused by the rotating pad and study the various characteristics of the thrust bearing itself.

Figure 3. PVDF sensitivity directions [3]

References

1. Minggang Zhanga, Quang Trong Nguyenb, Zhenghua Pinga, Journal of Membrane Science, 327 (2009) 78–86.
2. Sita M Damaraju, Siliang Wu, Michael Jaffe, Treena Livingston Arinzeh, Biomed. Mater. 8 (2013) 045007.
3. Andrew Youssef, David Matthews, Andrew Guzzomi, Jie Pan, Sensors,17 (2017) 878.

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