Fluoropolymer Fibres: Physicochemical Nature and Structural Dependence of their Unique Properties, Fabrication, and Use. A Review

Fluorine-containing fibre-forming polymers, fibres, and fibre materials have unique properties due to the presence of fluorine atoms. Totally fluorinated polymer materials are distinguished by the highest resistance to all kinds of chemical reagents and physically active media, low wettability by polar liquids, and other specific functional properties. In examining the physicochemical nature of the unique properties of fluoropolymer fibres and fibre materials with respect to the theory of chemical structure and D. I. Mendeleev's Periodic Table of the Elements, we found that they are due to the features of the fluorine atoms, which have the highest electronegativity of all elements, high ionization energy, high energies of bonds with carbon atoms, and simultaneously shield the molecular chain from external effects. Fibre-forming fluoropolymers, fibres, and fibre materials made from them have high resistance to external effects, biostability and bioinertness, and highly effective protective and other functional characteristics. This relates to the totally fluorinated materials PTFE, HFP, and CP-TFE-HFP to the greatest degree. Fibres and fibre materials based on totally fluorinated polymers (PTFE, HFP, CP-TFE-HFP) are placed in a special group for use in articles utilized in extreme conditions in exposure to especially aggressive media and other external active effects where the use of other kinds of fibres and fibre materials is difficult or impossible because of their low stability and rapid destruction.