2

There is a lot information available regarding thermal decomposition e.g. burning, but what happens to PTFE in ordinary environmental circumstances? Or if time for degradation is short enough, what happens in households (indoor air) which contains some PTFE impregnated materials? As far as I understood fluorotelomers might be also involved here somehow, but this is maybe due e.g. some dirt repellent product product which contains those fluorotelomers among PTFE.

One answer can be that PTFE is inert and stable and so fort, yes but I assume that some degradation happens still?

Katve
  • 129
  • 1
  • 1
    PTFE starts degrading above 260°C but I am not aware of any decomposition in the environment. Common plastics take centuries to be degraded and PTFE in much much more stable. – SteffX Jan 31 '19 at 10:52
  • 1
    We are yet to see the small planet Pluto to complete its first orbit since its discovery. Likewise, we are yet to see the first sample of PTFE to decompose in natural environment. – Ivan Neretin Jan 31 '19 at 11:19
  • @IvanNeretin I'm not sure that is strictly true. It surely decomposes very slowly as do other, more easily dispersed, fluorocarbons. But many other apparently inert plastics decompose more quickly than originally expected. – matt_black Jan 31 '19 at 13:41
  • It is important to distinguish PTFE from other fluorocarbons. The polymer is very inert and won't spread around without considerable deliberate effort. But many fluorocarbon stain relevant chemicals are much more volatile and will spread. But they are usually so inert this isn't a big worry, though some manufacturers have cut down on their use because they do accumulate in the environment. – matt_black Jan 31 '19 at 13:43
  • related https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/34190/is-there-any-chemical-that-can-destroy-ptfe-or-teflon – Mithoron Jan 31 '19 at 21:32
  • Carotene, much less stable than PTFE, has been found in shale ~52,000,000 years old. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0016703787902328 – DrMoishe Pippik Jan 31 '19 at 22:51

0 Answers0