ETFE

Last updated
ETFE
Ethylen-Tetrafluorethylen.svg
Names
IUPAC name
poly(1,1,2,2-tetrafluorobutane-1,4-diyl)
Other names
poly(ethene-co-tetrafluoroethene)
Identifiers
ChemSpider
  • none
  • InChI=1S/C2F4.C2H4/c3-1(4)2(5)6;1-2/h;1-2H2 Yes check.svgY
    Key: QHSJIZLJUFMIFP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
X mark.svgN  verify  (what is  Yes check.svgYX mark.svgN ?)

Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is a fluorine-based plastic. It was designed to have high corrosion resistance and strength over a wide temperature range. ETFE is a polymer and its source-based name is poly(ethene-co-tetrafluoroethene). It is also known under the DuPont brand name Tefzel and is sometimes referred to as 'Teflon Film'. ETFE has a relatively high melting temperature and excellent chemical, electrical and high-energy radiation resistance properties.

Contents

Properties

Useful comparison tables of PTFE against FEP, PFA and ETFE can be found on DuPont's website, listing the mechanical, thermal, chemical and electrical properties of each, side by side. [1] ETFE is effectively the high-strength version of the other three in this group.

ETFE film is self-cleaning (due to its nonstick properties) and recyclable. [2] As a film for roofing it can be stretched and still be taut if some variation in size, such as that caused by thermal expansion, were to occur. Employing heat welding, tears can be repaired with a patch or multiple sheets assembled into larger panels.

ETFE has an approximate tensile strength of 42 MPa (6100 psi), with a working temperature range of 89 K to 423 K (−185 °C to +150 °C or −300 °F to +300 °F). [3]

ETFE resins are resistant to ultraviolet light. An artificial weathering test (comparable to 30 years’ exposure) produced no filtering and almost no signs of film deterioration. [4]

ETFE systems can control light transmission through the application of plasma coatings, varnishes or printed frit patterns. [5] Thermal and acoustic insulation can be incorporated into an ETFE structure via the use of multi-layer systems which use low-pressure air pumps to create ETFE "cushions". [6] For instance u value of ETFE single layer, double and three layers are approximately: 5.6, 2.5 and 1.9 W/m2.k respectively [7] while concerning g value of etfe cushion or SHGC in ETFE systems it can vary between 0.2 to 0.95 using frits [5] and for further info about SHGC in ETFE refer to [8]

Applications

The Eden Project, Cornwall, UK. Biomes are constructed with ETFE cushions. EdenProject2005-07-30.jpg
The Eden Project, Cornwall, UK. Biomes are constructed with ETFE cushions.
ETFE roof at Manchester Piccadilly station, Manchester, UK Manchester Piccadilly Inside.jpg
ETFE roof at Manchester Piccadilly station, Manchester, UK

ETFE was developed by DuPont in the 1970s initially as a lightweight, heat resistant film in the aerospace industry. [9] From its development it was largely used infrequently in agricultural and architectural projects. [9] ETFE's first large-scale use architecturally came in 2001 at the Eden Project where ETFE was selected as it can be printed and layered to control solar conditions and because it was found to have a low friction coefficient, which saves on maintenance as dust and dirt do not stick. [9]

An example of its use is as pneumatic panels to cover the outside of the football stadium Allianz Arena or the Beijing National Aquatics Centre (a.k.a. the Water Cube of the 2008 Olympics) – the world's largest structure made of ETFE film (laminate). The panels of the Eden Project are also made from ETFE, and the Tropical Islands have a 20,000 m2 window made from this translucent material.

Another key use of ETFE is for the covering of electrical and fiber-optic wiring used in high-stress, low-fume-toxicity and high-reliability situations. Aircraft, spacecraft and motorsport wiring are primary examples. Some small cross-section wires like the wire used for the wire-wrap technique are coated with ETFE.

As a dual laminate, ETFE can be bonded with FRP as a thermoplastic liner and used in pipes, tanks, and vessels for additional corrosion protection.

ETFE is commonly used in the nuclear industry for tie or cable wraps and in the aviation and aerospace industries for wire coatings. This is because ETFE has better mechanical toughness than PTFE. In addition, ETFE exhibits a high-energy radiation resistance and can withstand moderately high temperatures for a long period. Commercially deployed brand names of ETFE include Tefzel by DuPont, Fluon by Asahi Glass Company, Neoflon ETFE by Daikin, and Texlon by Vector Foiltec. Sumitomo Electric developed an aluminium-ETFE composite marketed as Sumiflon-E (スミフロンE). [10] Additionally, now a day the commercial use of architectural ETFE as skylight or facade materials has become very popular all over the world not only in Europe, in middle east for instance many shopping malls, sports and cultural mega venues developments has utilized ETFE for example recent huge greenhouse park development in Abu Dhabi (Mawasem Park - Green House - Abu Dhabi House) managed by Fabrix360 ETFE expert [11]

Due to its high temperature resistance ETFE is also used in film mode as a mold-release film. [12] ETFE film offered by Guarniflon or Airtech International and Honeywell is used in aerospace applications such as carbon fiber pre-preg curing as a release film for molds or hot high-pressure plates.

ETFE cushions roof with integrated photovoltaic cells. Munich's municipal waste management department AWM-Munich-ETFE-Cushions-Photovoltaic.jpg
ETFE cushions roof with integrated photovoltaic cells. Munich's municipal waste management department

Notable buildings

Notable buildings and designs using ETFE as a significant architectural element:

National Space Centre, Leicester UK The National Space Centre, Leicester. - geograph.org.uk - 377519.jpg
National Space Centre, Leicester UK
Detail of Beijing National Aquatics Centre showing ETFE exterior cushions Detail de la structure.JPG
Detail of Beijing National Aquatics Centre showing ETFE exterior cushions
Haneda Airport Terminal 2, International Flight Facilities, Tokyo, Japan Haneda Airport Terminal 2 International Flight Facilities, Tokyo, Japan.jpg
Haneda Airport Terminal 2, International Flight Facilities, Tokyo, Japan

Under construction

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Project</span> Visitor attraction in Cornwall, United Kingdom

The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the town of St Blazey and 5 km (3 mi) from the larger town of St Austell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beijing Capital International Airport</span> Airport serving Beijing, China

Beijing Capital International Airport is one of two international airports serving Beijing, the capital city of China, the other one being Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). It is located 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Beijing's city center, in an exclave of Chaoyang District and the surroundings of that exclave in suburban Shunyi District. The airport is owned and operated by the Beijing Capital International Airport Company Limited, a state-controlled company. The airport's IATA Airport code, PEK, is based on the city's former romanized name, Peking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zaha Hadid</span> Iraqi architect (1950–2016)

Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid was an Iraqi architect, artist and designer, recognized as a major figure in architecture of the late-20th and early-21st centuries. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Hadid studied mathematics as an undergraduate and then enrolled at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in 1972. In search of an alternative system to traditional architectural drawing, and influenced by Suprematism and the Russian avant-garde, Hadid adopted painting as a design tool and abstraction as an investigative principle to "reinvestigate the aborted and untested experiments of Modernism [...] to unveil new fields of building".

Foster and Partners is a British international architecture firm based in London, England, founded in 1967 by Sir Norman Foster. Foster and Partners has designed many iconic buildings and structures around the world, including the Gherkin in London, the 1990s renovation of the Reichstag in Berlin, the Hearst Tower in New York City, the Hong Kong International Airport, and the Millau Viaduct in France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light Cycle</span> Fictional motorcycle

The Light Cycle is a type of fictional motorcycle featured in the Tron franchise. First introduced in the film Tron, they are used as part of a deadly virtual game conducted by the villainous Master Control Program. In it, players must ride around an arena without crashing into each other, the outer walls, or the light trails left behind by the vehicles. Subsequent generations of Light Cycles appeared in later works of media.

Arup is a British multinational professional services firm headquartered in London that provides design, engineering, architecture, planning, and advisory services across every aspect of the built environment. It employs about 17,000 people in over 90 offices across 35 countries, and has participated in projects in over 160 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diagrid</span> Structural design which uses diagonal members instead of columns

A diagrid is a framework of diagonally intersecting metal, concrete, or wooden beams that is used in the construction of buildings and roofs. It requires less structural steel than a conventional steel frame. Hearst Tower in New York City, designed by Norman Foster, uses 21 percent less steel than a standard design. The diagrid obviates the need for columns and can be used to make large column-free expanses of roofing. Another iconic building designed by Foster, 30 St Mary Axe, in London, UK, known as "The Gherkin", also uses the diagrid system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water Cube</span> Swimming center in Beijing, China

The Water Cube (水立方), fully known as the National Aquatics Centre (国家游泳中心), is a swimming center at the Olympic Green in Chaoyang, Beijing, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Contemporary architecture</span> Broad range of styles of 21st-century structures

Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. No single style is dominant. Contemporary architects work in several different styles, from postmodernism, high-tech architecture and new references and interpretations of traditional architecture to highly conceptual forms and designs, resembling sculpture on an enormous scale. Some of these styles and approaches make use of very advanced technology and modern building materials, such as tube structures which allow construction of buildings that are taller, lighter and stronger than those in the 20th century, while others prioritize the use of natural and ecological materials like stone, wood and lime. One technology that is common to all forms of contemporary architecture is the use of new techniques of computer-aided design, which allow buildings to be designed and modeled on computers in three dimensions, and constructed with more precision and speed.

Buro Happold Limited is a British professional services firm that provides engineering consultancy, design, planning, project management, and consulting services for buildings, infrastructure, and the environment. It was founded in Bath, Somerset, in 1976 by Sir Edmund Happold when he took up a post at the University of Bath as Professor of Architecture and Engineering Design.

Vector Foiltec is a business using transparent plastic (ETFE) cushions filled with air as an architectural cladding technology. This solution can be better than glass panels in applications such as roofs over aggressive environments where chemicals would attack a metal window frame, or where the transparent panels have to accommodate deformation due to changing thermal conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abu Dhabi</span> Capital of the United Arab Emirates and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. Abu Dhabi is the UAE's second-most populous city after Dubai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center</span> Shopping centre

Khan Shatyr is a transparent tent-shaped Entertainment Center located in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. Built in a neo-futurist style, the architectural project was unveiled by the first President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on December 9, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Membrane structure</span>

Membrane structures are spatial structures made out of tensioned membranes. The structural use of membranes can be divided into pneumatic structures, tensile membrane structures, and cable domes. In these three kinds of structure, membranes work together with cables, columns and other construction members to find a form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Gate</span> Skyscraper in Abu Dhabi

Capital Gate, also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi, is a skyscraper in Abu Dhabi that is over 160 meters (520 ft) tall, 35 stories high, with over 16,000 square meters (170,000 sq ft) of usable office space. Capital Gate is one of the tallest buildings in the city and was designed to incline 18° west, more than four times the lean of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The building is owned and was developed by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company. The tower is the focal point of Capital Centre.

Waagner Biro is a Vienna-based group of companies formerly part of the same group which have developed into separately owned, independent companies operating in steel and mechanical engineering. Collectively, the companies have about 1000 employees in various locations in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Taiyo Kogyo Corporation, based in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, is a specialty contractor for the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of tensile membrane structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazza bin Zayed Stadium</span> Association football stadium in the United Arab Emirates

The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, located in the City of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, the UAE. It is the home stadium of Al Ain FC of the UAE Pro-League. The stadium holds 22,717 spectators and opened in 2014. The stadium was named after the chairman of the club, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

<i>Tron</i> Lightcycle Power Run Launched roller coaster

Tron Lightcycle Power Run and Tron Lightcycle / Run are semi-enclosed, launched roller coasters at Shanghai Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The first incarnation, Tron Lightcycle Power Run, opened at Shanghai Disneyland on June 16, 2016. A nearly-identical installation, Tron Lightcycle / Run, opened at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World on April 4, 2023. Both are in the Tomorrowland themed areas at each park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of the United Arab Emirates</span> Overview of the architecture of the United Arab Emirates

The architecture of the United Arab Emirates has undergone dramatic transformation in recent decades, from operating as a collection of fishing villages to a global business hub known for its innovation and dynamism. Between the 1960s and 1970s, architecture in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) remained solely traditional, with narrow alleys and windtower houses still in use, reflective of a strong Bedouin heritage. Architecture is influenced by elements of Islamic, Arabian and Persian culture.

References

  1. "Fluoropolymer Comparison - Typical Properties DuPont". Archived from the original on November 16, 2018.
  2. "ETFE". Archived from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  3. "Boedeker Plastics, Inc. > Product". www.boedeker.com.
  4. "ETFE". FlexFacades by Structurflex. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  5. 1 2 Fabrix360 (2022-01-29). "How ETFE printing and adhesion durability lasts?". home. Retrieved 2023-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. "10 Benefits of Using ETFE Foil In Architecture".
  7. Fabrix360 (2020-04-01). "U-value ETFE cushion, the rout to precise determination". home. Retrieved 2023-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. Fabrix360 (2022-04-24). "What is ETFE G-value (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient SHGC)". home. Retrieved 2023-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. 1 2 3 4 Lynch, Patrick (2019-04-06). "What is ETFE and Why Has it Become Architecture's Favorite Polymer?". ArchDaily. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  10. "Characteristics of Sumiflon" (PDF). Sumitomo Electric. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  11. "Projects | Fabrix360 | United Arab Emirates". home. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  12. Fabrix360 (2021-12-05). "ETFE durability makes you worry!". home. Retrieved 2023-12-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "LASED – LA Stadium & Entertainment District at Hollywood Park".
  14. "Banc of California Stadium Facts | Los Angeles Football Club". Archived from the original on 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
  15. "The Northern Lights Display". BC Place.
  16. Stoelker, Tom (17 August 2012). "STUDIO V Bets on a Curving Lattice Porte-Cochere in Yonkers". Archpaper.com. Architect’s Newspaper. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  17. "ARTIC | Life's a Journey Celebrate the Ride". Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-10-22.
  18. Tim Tucker, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "LEADOFF: What's next for Mercedes-Benz Stadium roof?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  19. Karychová, Pavla (2022-09-22). "The facade of the CIIRC building was awarded for design in Como, Italy | CIIRC" . Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  20. "Grimshaw completes roller coaster attraction at shanghai disney resort's tomorrowland". 21 November 2017.
  21. "The Global Change Institute - The University of Queensland, Australia". gci.uq.edu.au.
  22. "A ONE OF A KIND ETFE FACADE".
  23. Gruver, Deb (20 August 2014). "New roof will help save jungle exhibit at Sedgwick County Zoo". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  24. "BNC Network - The region's largest construction intelligence platform".
  25. "Terminal C Canopy and Upper Deck" . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  26. "Latest look at the ETFE cushion canopy installation at TRON Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom".