Fluorination
A chemical reaction that introduces fluorine into a compound.

Fluorine
n. Symbol F
A pale-yellow, highly corrosive, poisonous, gaseous halogen element, the most electronegative and most reactive of all the elements, used in a wide variety of industrially important compounds. Atomic number 9; atomic weight 18.9984; freezing point -219.62°C; melting point -223°C; boiling point -188.14°C; specific gravity of liquid 1.108 (at boiling point); valence 1.

High-density polyethylene
n. Abbr. HDPE
A strong, relatively opaque form of polyethylene having a dense structure with few side branches off the main carbon backbone.

UHMW-PE
A tough, wear resistant plastic that combines an incredibly low coefficient of friction with outstanding impact strength. This self-lubricating polymer has excellent chemical resistance and a broad temperature range making it the perfect choice for engineers in a variety of industries such as conveyor and bulk material handling.

Range
Sheets, rods, tubes, standard and custom profiles, cut-to-size strips and blocks

Applications:

Chute, hopper and truck bed liners

Wear strips and guide rails

Star wheels, sprockets and conveyor tracks

Bumpers and dock fenders

Bushings, bearings and rollers

Low-density polyethylene
n. Abbr. LDPE
A form of polyethylene having many side branches off the main carbon backbone and a less closely packed structure than that of high-density polyethylene.


PlasticA plastic is made up principally of a binder together with plasticizers, fillers, pigments, and other additives. The binder gives a plastic its main characteristics and usually its name. Thus, polyvinyl chloride is both the name of a binder and the name of a plastic into which it is made. Binders may be natural materials, e.g., cellulose derivatives, casein, or milk protein, but are more commonly synthetic resins. In either case, the binder materials consist of very long chainlike molecules called polymers. Cellulose derivatives are made from cellulose, a naturally occurring polymer; casein is also a naturally occurring polymer. Synthetic resins are polymerized, or built up, from small simple molecules called monomers. Plasticizers are added to a binder to increase flexibility and toughness. Fillers are added to improve particular properties, e.g., hardness or resistance to shock. Pigments are used to impart various colors. Virtually any desired color or shape and many combinations of the properties of hardness, durability, elasticity, and resistance to heat, cold, and acid can be obtained in a plastic.

There are two basic types of plastic: thermosetting, which cannot be resoftened after being subjected to heat and pressure; and thermoplastic, which can be repeatedly softened and remolded by heat and pressure. When heat and pressure are applied to a thermoplastic binder, the chainlike polymers slide past each other, giving the material “plasticity.” However, when heat and pressure are initially applied to a thermosetting binder, the molecular chains become cross-linked, thus preventing any slippage if heat and pressure are reapplied

Polypropylene is produced by the polymerization of propylene, a relatively inexpensive olefin derived from petroleum. The use of polypropylene has expanded through the years due to its high strength to weight ratio, excellent resistance to corrosion, ease of fabrication, and low cost.

Although polypropylene belongs to the olefin family, it is quite different in properties to other polyolefins. It has a low density, is fairly rigid, has a heat distortion temperature of 150 degrees F to 200 degrees F, and has excellent chemical resistance. Additionally, polypropylene has negligible water absorption, excellent electrical properties, and is easy to process.

Polypropylene's outstanding characteristics are its' resistance to strong acids, even at elevated temperatures. A limitation of homopolymer polypropylene is brittleness when exposed to freezing temperatures. Should the features of polypropylene still be desirable, a copolymer polypropylene should be used. As with all polyolefins, polypropylene will burn readily. If fire resistance is required, a special flame retardant polypropylene is available.