Chemical and physical properties of teflon. What is Teflon? Teflon Description

Among modern synthetic materials there are many such, the unique properties of which contribute to their use in a wide variety of areas of human activity. One such versatile material is Teflon, which is remarkably resistant and chemically neutral. Teflon materials are widely used in engineering, medicine, and everyday life. One common use for them is Teflon cloth, which is nearly impossible to tear or stain.

What is teflon?

The name "Teflon" is a brand name for polymerized tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) owned by DuPont. In our country, this substance was called "fluoroplast", which is still preserved in industrial production. The main features of this polymer are:

• resistance to temperatures in the range of -70 - +270 degrees;
• lack of wetting with water, fats, organic solvents;
• inertness to the action of almost all chemical compounds, with the exception of fluorine, fluorine trichloride and alkali metal melts;
• "sliding" surface;
• electrical insulating properties;
• biological neutrality.

The list of possibilities for using Teflon in production and transport, instrument making, and the paint and varnish industry would be too long. It is successfully used as implants of various kinds, which dissolve after about a year, being replaced by restored body tissues. Teflon-coated kitchen utensils, razor blades, and various household appliances are widely used. And, of course, high-tech fabrics that use this polymer are well known to everyone.

Varieties of Teflon fabrics

Depending on the thickness and method of applying the Teflon layer, textiles can acquire a wide variety of properties. Such material is used wherever resistance to the environment and high or low temperatures is needed, as well as high slip - in the food, aviation, chemical and other industries. For the manufacture of clothing and household items, well-known materials such as cotton, viscose, synthetic fibers, as well as their mixtures are used, on which a thin, almost imperceptible even to the touch Teflon film is applied.

Teflon-coated anti-vandal fabric is widely used for furniture upholstery, which looks very beautiful and does not require special care, as it is resistant to:

• pollution;
• getting wet;
• cuts and scratches;
• abrasion;
• development of the microflora.

To make such furniture look “like new”, it is enough to wipe it with a sponge and soapy water. The same applies to Teflon-coated tablecloths.

Another popular variety of Teflon materials are membrane fabrics, for example, widely Gore-Tex.

To obtain them, a thin polymer layer with many micropores is applied to the textile base, which do not let in precipitation and gusts of wind from the outside, but do not interfere with the removal of heated air and water vapor from the skin.

For such unique properties, the membranes have earned the name of "intelligent materials", and the demand for them is constantly increasing.

Currently, there are frequent media campaigns aimed at educating consumers about the harmfulness of non-stick cookware based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It should be noted here that at the moment, non-stick coatings for dishes on any other basis do not yet exist.

Two statements are chosen as the "scientific" basis of such statements:

1. The non-stick coating contains PFOA (C7F15COOH) - perfluorooctanoic acid, which increases the risk of diabetes and cancer.

2. When heated, the non-stick coating releases harmful substances.

In confirmation, studies of the American State Environmental Protection Agency - EPA, and statements in the media by some experts about the inclusion of PFOA by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollution in the list of such are given.

The current situation can be commented as follows:

1. Coatings created by well-known manufacturers go through all stages of hygienic and chemical-technical research, both in our country and in Europe, on the basis of which they are issued with appropriate certificates confirming harmlessness to humans.

2. PFOA is indeed used to make some - not all - non-stick coatings. In this case, the manipulation is as follows: it is said that the semi-finished product of some kind of coating contains acid, but that in the sintered (polymerized) coating on all finished dishes PFOA is absent !!!- is silent. All prepared cookware is PFOA free!!!

Currently, there are no studies confirming the harm of non-stick cookware for humans.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not find exposure to PFOA harmful: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pfoa/pubs/faq.html

Statements about the Stockholm Convention are another lie. The text of the convention is easy to find on the Internet, in particular, on one of the sites of UN organizations. The distortion is as follows: in the list of persistent organic pollutants, there is perphotooctane sulfonic acid PFOS and not PFOA, these are completely different substances !!!

Such utensils are positioned as having a PTFE-free ceramic non-stick coating, which has the best characteristics and is absolutely harmless to health.

What can be said about this?

The whole ideology of promoting cookware with non-stick coatings without PTFE is based on two pillars:

· Most consumers are not experts in the field of chemistry and cookware technology.

· Modern fashion for the word ecology and its derivatives.

The so-called "ceramic" coatings do not meet the characteristics of non-stick, and are according to the Western classification "easy to clean". Statements about them as non-stick, to put it mildly, do not correspond to reality.

This type of coverage is not new. These are relatively old, slightly modified technical coatings for cookware, available in the range of chemical concerns that produce non-stick coatings, such as Dupont, Akzo Nobel, Whitford, etc. However, companies with a well-known reputation do not offer them as food.

All traces of the origin of PTFE-free coatings lead to China….. The attitude towards ecology in China is not a secret for anyone.

Currently, there are no studies that confirm the harmfulness or harmlessness of such coatings for humans in the long term (as, for example, in the case of GMOs). There is no experience of using these coatings in contact with food.

Most European market participants, where this company started earlier than ours, consider this a kind of fashionable trend that will allow the most nimble "cut down" money and will go down in the annals of the history of marketing projects such as Zeptor, etc.

FrequentQuestions(see last question)

Aretherestepsthatconsumers can take to reduce their exposure to PFOA?
Consumer products made with perfluorochemicals include some non-stick cookware and products such as breathable, all-weather clothing. They are also employed in hundreds of other uses in almost all industry segments, including the aerospace, automotive, building/construction, chemical processing, electrical and electronics, semiconductor, and textile industries. Telomers are used as surfactants and as surface treatment chemicals in many products, including fire fighting foams; personal care and cleaning products; and oil, stain, grease, and water repellent coatings on carpet, textiles, leather, and paper. Consumer products made with fluoropolymers and fluorinated telomers, such as Teflon and other trademark products, are not PFOA. PFOA is used as a processing aid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers and can also be produced by the breakdown of some fluorinated telomers. The information that EPA has available does not indicate that the routine use of consumer products poses a concern. At present, there are no steps that EPA recommends that consumers take to reduce exposures to PFOA.

The word "Teflon" itself is a registered trademark of DuPont (USA).

The generic name for this material is Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, PTFE).

In Russia (USSR), its traditional technical and trade name is Ftoroplast (Ftoroplast-4)

Produced according to GOST10007-80. Its chemical formula is (CF2-CF2)n.

Polytetrafluoroethylene was discovered by chemist Roy Plunkett back in 1938 quite by accident. The gas (tetrafluoroethylene) pumped into the cylinders polymerized under pressure into a white powder, while studying the properties of which, scientists were surprised to discover the unique properties of the resulting substance. A few years later, Kinetic Chemicals, where the scientist worked, was granted a patent for Teflon, and in 1949 this company became a division of the famous American company DuPont. There are quite a lot of registered trade names of this material in the world: Polyflon M (Japan), Hostaflon TF (Germany), Fluon G (England), Gaglon, Soreflon (France), Algoflon F (Italy).

Fluoroplast (Teflon), by itself, is produced by factories in the form of a white powder of various fractions. For the manufacture of products from it, the material is pressed, an aqueous suspension is made on its basis, and then sintered at different temperature conditions. All kinds of blanks (rods, bushings, disks), pipes and tubes of various lengths and diameters are obtained from the powder. Various fabrics are impregnated with an aqueous solution (suspension), applied to metal and other coatings. Modern uses Fluoroplast (Teflon) finds application in many industries due to its unique properties.

Properties of fluoroplastics

Having sorted out a bit the trade names and history of origin, let's pay attention to the unique properties of fluoroplast (we will focus on the Russian name of the material). This polymer has a particularly strong bond in the structure of carbon and fluorine atoms, which predetermines a huge set of unique physical and chemical properties that are not characteristic of other plastics and other materials.

Fluoroplast has a particularly high resistance to almost any chemical environment, including aggressive ones, such as acids and alkalis, excellent anti-adhesion properties, is an excellent dielectric, has a low slip coefficient and is able to maintain these properties over a wide temperature range. To achieve the best strength parameters: hardness, wear resistance, thermal conductivity, various fillers are added to the fluoroplastic. Such compositions make it possible to use the material in the widest areas of industry and agriculture.

Fields of application of fluoroplast

Due to the fact that fluoroplast has unique physical and chemical properties, its use becomes indispensable in many areas. The material is very actively and successfully used in the food industry, pharmaceuticals, medicine, construction, aircraft manufacturing, radio electronics, energy and other important industries, mastering more and more new ways and methods of fluoroplast operation. Here are some examples.

- Absolute inertness to all food and biological media allows the use of products made of fluoroplast or its parts in any equipment as an auxiliary material at various temperature effects from deep freezing to extreme heat treatment of products. Also used in pipelines for pumping edible oils, as non-stick materials in the form of varnished fabrics, nets and special coatings for dishes.

- In medicine, it is successfully used for the manufacture of prostheses, artificial heart valves and vessels of the circulatory system are made due to compatibility with the human body. The properties of fluoroplast, in comparison with the use of metal components in this industry, helped to overcome the limitations in the subsequent life of a person.

- In mechanical engineering, transport production and aircraft construction, the structural properties of fluoroplast have proven themselves well. Due to composite fluoroplastics, it is widely used in units subjected to high loads as bearings and sliding elements, coatings of metal bases of structures. Fluoroplastic is introduced into the composition of lubricants, where it forms a protective film and prevents wear of parts for some time. Fluoroplastic is not replaceable as seals and seals for pipelines and high-pressure hydraulic systems. Fluoroplastic blanks are easily machined and can take any required shape of complexity.

- In the chemical industry, mainly fluoroplastic, due to its unique properties not to react with aggressive chemical environments and liquids, is used for the manufacture of parts for stop valves, coating tanks of any volume, lining surfaces, manufacturing elements of pipelines and vessels, sealing rings and gaskets.

- Fluoroplast has found wide application in the construction of complex structures and structures such as bridges, overpasses, flyovers. Especially in areas with seismic activity. In these objects, spacers are used in the places where the beams are supported, in the places where the columns are installed on the foundations to create the "mobility" of the parts.

— Due to the unique dielectric properties, fluoroplastic is successfully used in electrical engineering, electronics, cable industry and instrument making. Insulating materials are used in various kinds of capacitors, circuit boards and coils. It is especially important that the used parts and products made of fluoroplast allow the use of instrument assemblies in various atmospheric conditions and withstand the effects of aggressive environments.

- Modern light industry, especially in the production of sportswear and clothing for outdoor activities, has recently also actively used the thinnest porous fluoroplastic films. These types of fabrics are able, on the one hand, to resist the penetration of moisture into the inside of clothing, on the other hand, to breathe the human body during active movements.

Thus, we see that the use of fluoroplastic in various industries makes it possible to discover new, modern technologies, improve product quality and significantly save production processes.

Due to its strong fluoro-carbon bond and the reliable protection of carbon atoms by fluorine atoms, Teflon has almost universal chemical resistance.

Almost every modern kitchen has Teflon-coated cookware. Cooking in it is convenient and quite economical. Food does not stick to the surface even without adding oil. Many people consider such dishes to be a godsend, since the taste of food cooked on it turns out to be natural. The appearance in everyday life of such dishes has significantly reduced the time for cooking. But is this coating so harmless and is there any harm to a person with a Teflon coating?

What is teflon

Teflon is a complex chemical compound that resembles plastic. This material is considered the most elastic and slippery, it is widely used in many areas of industrial production. This substance can be found in clothing, paper products, plastic food packaging, as well as furniture and many other items that are used daily. Teflon has received special distribution in the manufacture of dishes.

Harmful substances that are released from Teflon when heated tend to accumulate in the human body and animals.

Advantages of dishes

Teflon cookware has a lot of advantages over other types of kitchen utensils, which is why many housewives love it so much:

1. Durability - given the material does not interact with alkalis and acids, therefore it serves for a long time, but only if the coating layer is not broken.
2. The ability to cook without oil - cookware with a high-quality non-stick coating allows you to cook food with little or no added fat.
3. Easy care - Teflon-coated pans are effortless to clean. This coating is well tolerated by detergents and washing in the dishwasher.
4. Versatility - Teflon-coated cookware resists pathogens and various enzymes. It withstands high and low temperatures well. Plasticity makes it possible to use this material in conjunction with carbon fibers, coke and glass. This allows you to significantly increase strength, but does not at all reduce useful qualities.

The unique qualities of Teflon have made it simply indispensable in many industries. It is used in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, as well as in the production of medical equipment and instruments.

What are the dangers of Teflon cookware?

Many doctors are sounding the alarm because of the ubiquity of non-stick cookware. Definitely, the Teflon coating is harmful to health, especially if the protective layer is of poor quality or deformed.

The danger of using such kitchen utensils is explained by the fact that at high temperatures the chemicals that contain Teflon are destroyed and form toxic compounds. These toxins are released into the air and enter the lungs of people and pets, which can eventually lead to health problems. Prolonged inhalation of these toxic substances can cause flu-like symptoms in humans, which is why the medical term for this condition is Teflon flu.

Manufacturers of Teflon cookware unanimously argue that in order to start releasing toxic compounds, the pan must be heated to the maximum temperature. However, independent testing has shown that a Teflon pan only needs to be simmered for up to 5 minutes on low heat to release dangerous toxins into the air.

It is a well-known fact that toxic substances that are released when a Teflon pan is heated can kill domestic birds - canaries and parrots. They have more sensitive lungs than humans.

Perfluorinated compounds, including Teflon, are gradually deposited in the human body and have harmful health effects. These compounds are quite resistant to degradation and excretion from the body, so a single exposure can cause contamination of the human body for many years. Many experts associate the accumulation of perfluorinated compounds with an increased risk of developing cancer and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The Teflon coating of the pan warms up to a temperature of 400 ° C in just 7-8 minutes. But it is worth remembering that poultry can die if Teflon is heated to 165 ° C.

What Diseases Can Teflon Cause?

The toxic substances that Teflon cookware releases when heated penetrate the human lungs and provoke the development of many dangerous diseases. So, every day cooking in dishes with a non-stick layer, a person risks earning such ailments:

• overweight;
• oncological diseases of the thyroid gland;
• diabetes;
• deterioration of the immune system;
• infertility;
• cancer of the prostate and other reproductive organs;
• leukemia.

In people who work in the production of Teflon products, there is a noticeable increase in organs - the liver, spleen and brain.

Young children are particularly affected by PFOA, which is released by the harmful polymer. In the process of animal experiments, it was found that the entire amount of harmful toxin from the body can pass from a pregnant woman to the fetus, which leads to congenital malformations.

How to protect yourself and your family

Not always people are aware of the harm of Teflon and refuse to use it. And it is simply impossible to remove all things with a dangerous polymer from everyday use. After all, it is contained not only in dishes, but also on the sole of the iron, in microcircuits, light bulbs, medical instruments, and also on some clothes. Everyone can protect themselves from harmful effects, the main thing is to know some of the features of the polymer:

• It is not recommended to eat semi-finished products that are packed in Teflon containers.. It must be remembered that such dishes should not be heated in the microwave, as toxic substances quickly penetrate into food, and then into the human body.
• If possible, Teflon utensils are replaced with cast iron and enameled utensils, as well as stainless steel and ceramics.
• When purchasing things for the home and clothes, it is imperative to look at the composition of the products; they should not contain Teflon.
• Do not buy cosmetics that contain fluoro, perfluoro or PTFE. All these designations indicate the content of a harmful polymer.

If a person cannot determine for himself whether Teflon is harmful or not, then it is worth observing safety when using kitchen utensils with a non-stick coating.

How to properly use Teflon cookware

If the hostess cannot part with her favorite Teflon pan and prefers to cook only in it, then a number of rules must be followed to minimize the harmful effects on health:

• Do not use any metal objects while cooking.. You can stir the dish with a special wooden spatula.
• After cooking, food is immediately poured into enameled, glass or stainless steel dishes. The residence time of foodstuffs near Teflon should be minimal.
• Foods that require a long cooking time should be cooked in cast iron pans.
• High-quality Teflon-coated pans are equipped with a special indicator on the bottom. Put food into the pan at the moment when the indicator changes color.
• If possible fire should be kept to a minimum if food is cooked in a non-stick pan.

If even the slightest defect is found on the dishes - a crack, a scratch or a chip, then they throw it away without hesitation. Deformed objects containing Teflon are very harmful to health.

Some especially economical housewives use non-stick pans for years, even if the surface has long been scratched. This is done in order to save money so as not to buy a new pan for longer. But we must not forget that the harm from such kitchen utensils is very great and such dubious savings will bring big expenses for restoring health. It is forbidden to cook on damaged dishes, especially if there are children in the family. The children's body is most exposed to harmful polymer.

So is it worth using teflon

There is no doubt that the age of advanced technologies and original innovative solutions has made people's lives very comfortable. A person uses the latest developments, which greatly facilitate everyday life. But all the positive aspects of these innovations can quickly fade against the backdrop of terrible consequences. Teflon dishes, beloved by many housewives, can lead to serious illnesses, cause the death of pets and provoke the development of malignant tumors.

Not always a person is surrounded by only useful and harmless objects. Using common sense, it is advisable to move away from Teflon cookware for a while or use it with the utmost caution. At least that time, until there is evidence that this kitchen utensil does not pose a danger to humans.

Teflon tableware analogues

While some housewives are arguing whether the Teflon coating in pans is so harmful, others prefer not to use such dishes and prefer analogues. The stores offer a wide range of kitchen utensils, so non-stick cookware can be easily replaced with one that has been proven safe for years.

Cast iron pans

You should not risk your health and the health of your children by using dishes of dubious quality with a polymer coating. All these functions are perfectly performed by a cast-iron frying pan, which not only does not harm, but even improves human health.

You can often hear reviews from housewives that it is very difficult to care for such dishes. But in fact, she does not need special care. It is enough to wash it with running water after cooking, then dry it and grease it with a thin layer of any fat.

In a well-heated cast-iron pan, food also does not stick., and over time, this property only improves, as the fat gradually forms carbon deposits, which serve as a natural non-stick coating.

Cast iron is a very durable material. A frying pan made of this metal can serve for decades without defects. Buying high-quality cast iron cookware saves money, because it does not have an expiration date, it does not require periodic replacement.

Due to the fact that the walls of cast-iron pans are thick, heat is distributed over the entire area more evenly. This also affects the taste of foods cooked in such dishes. They are evenly fried, with a beautiful and ruddy crust. These frying pans are allowed to be used for cooking food in the oven.

When cooking in a cast iron pan, the products are enriched with iron particles, which then enters the human body. Cast iron pan can be a good prevention of anemia.

Frying pans with ceramic coating

Such dishes appeared on the market relatively recently, but have already gained popularity among housewives. Ceramic coating is a good alternative to Teflon. Ceramics is an environmentally friendly material and does not emit toxic substances when heated.. Food in such pans does not burn even with strong heat.

Ceramic-coated cookware has one significant drawback - it is short-lived. The brittle coating deforms faster than the Teflon coating. No matter how high-quality such utensils are, after about 130 cookings they will have to be scrapped. Although it does not release poisonous toxins when deformed, it can no longer be used. Pieces of ceramics can get into the food, which will not only spoil the dish, but can also lead to health problems.

How to choose the right Teflon pan

If you really want to get a pan with a non-stick coating, then you should follow certain selection rules:

1. No need to chase too cheap goods. Most often, fakes from unknown manufacturers are inexpensive, where any materials are used as a coating, including epoxy resin.
2. It is better to buy a Teflon pan in a large shopping center. It should have a warranty and instructions.
3. Before buying, the product must be carefully inspected for even the slightest deformation. The coating may be damaged during transport.
4. High quality cookware should have a temperature indicator, on fakes this detail is usually not.

After buying a frying pan, you should immediately buy a few wooden spatulas for stirring food. And it happens that there are no wooden utensils at hand and the housewives interfere with food with a metal spoon, while deforming the coating.

Most housewives have heard about the dangers of Teflon dishes, but at the same time they are in no hurry to refuse it. They are attracted by the ease of care of such kitchen utensils, as well as ease of use. Whether or not to cook food in such pans is up to everyone to decide for themselves.