What is the PTFE-MBR membrane material?

PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene, trade name "Teflon", commonly known as "King of Plastics") was discovered in 1932 by Dr. Roy Plunkett, who came to the United States after graduating from DuPont to work on organic fluorine. In the summer of 1938, he discovered the white powder polymer polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which Plunkett patented and made public for the first time in 1941. Teflon.

In 1954, the French engineer Marc Gregoire developed a way to combine PTFE and aluminium, resulting in the world's first "non-stick" pan.

PTFE is not only used in the kitchen, but also for bearings, gears and pulleys in machinery, as it is particularly smooth. As the friction parts of special equipment are not suitable for oil lubrication, for example, where lubricating grease can be dissolved by solvents and fail or where products in the paper, pharmaceutical, food and textile industries need to avoid staining by lubricants, this makes filled PTFE materials the ideal material for oil-free lubrication (direct load bearing) of machinery and equipment parts. PTFE has the lowest coefficient of friction of any known solid material and it performance is far superior to materials such as phenolic resins and nylon.

PTFE is a superb material, even down to temperatures as low as -269.3°C. It can be used in dry ice, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid air and even in liquid helium, and can also withstand temperatures up to 250°C. It is also resistant to strong acids and alkalis such as sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and caustic soda, as well as strong oxidising agents such as potassium dichromate and potassium permanganate.

Its chemical stability exceeds that of glass, ceramics, stainless steel, and even gold and platinum. Secondly, PTFE is particularly difficult to wet and will not swell and gain weight even when immersed for long periods in the harsh environment of sewage. In addition, the dielectric properties of PTFE are frequency independent and do not change with temperature, making it an excellent insulating material.

Since its invention, PTFE has been widely used in chemical, aviation, transportation, electromechanical and other high-end fields because of its excellent chemical stability, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, non-flammability, sealing, high lubrication and non-stick properties, electrical insulation and good anti-ageing.

In the field of environmental protection and water treatment, PTFE membrane materials will become the third generation of PTFE-MBR membrane materials to replace PVDF after mass production and significant cost reduction. At present, the United States GE company, Japan Sumitomo company has taken the lead in the use of PTFE material MBR membrane material in sewage treatment.