The Technology of Polytetrafluoroethylene
Working in construction, manufacturing, chemicals, and other heavy industries is quite dangerous. That is why owners of such companies make sure that their workers' safety is not compromised. One of the ways to ensure their safety is to let them wear heavy-duty gear that are lined with a membrane called polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE. The material is based on thermo-mechanically expanded PTFE and other fluoropolymer products. It is quite porous thanks to a micro-structure that is composed of nodes interconnected by fibrils or extremely fine fibres.
The light and strong PTFE membrane is waterproof and windproof, which protects wearers from harsh weather. The best thing about PTFE-lined fabrics is that the membrane allows air to pass through, making the skin breath. It is quite amazing to know that the technology behind PTFE that allows it to breathe makes these high-performance fabrics reasonably comfortable to wear. The material's durability, permeability, and light weight makes PTFE-lined safety garments the preferred work clothes of heavy industry workers, fire services personnel, emergency services personnel, and soldiers. They are also used by sportsmen such as hikers, skiers, cyclists, and golfers.
PTFE also act as a highly efficient filter. The microstructures embedded inside the material allows air to pass through but traps larger particles such as dust, spores, paint particles, and other hazardous substances. In addition, the material's inherent thermal stability and chemical inertness makes it highly resistant to harsh chemicals and high temperatures like in iron-smelting plant. Finally PTFE is highly resistant to abrasion while showing a low shrinkage factor. This makes the material tolerant of ultraviolet rays and degradation. All these factors make PTFE-lined clothes an important part of safety gear.