Preparation, Study, and Use of Composites Based on Fluoropolymer Waste

A procedure was developed for reprocessing polytetrafluoroethylene waste with the aim of its reuse in production of polymer composite materials. Polytetrafluoroethylene waste was mechanically treated on a specially designed and fabricated installation. The grinding rate and parameters of the cyclone for separating the <10 μm fraction were found using the Bernoulli equation for open ventilation systems and the Stokes formula. The possibility of using polytetrafluoroethylene waste reprocessing products for preparing composite materials based on polyfluoroolefins was considered. The deformation and strength characteristics of the polymer composites obtained (σt = 17.6–23.8 MPa, eb = 400.0–415.3%) show that, in production of bulk composites, commercial polytetrafluoroethylene can be partially (to up to 30 wt %, irrespective of the size of the pulverized waste particles) replaced by its waste. In a combined sheet metal–Teflon material, the waste amount can reach 50–60 wt % relative to the polymer amount in the composite.