Chapter 6. Commercial Synthesis and Applications of Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) was first introduced commercially in the 1960s for architectural coatings, followed shortly thereafter by additional grades for industrial applications with continued technology developments to service demand in other application areas. PVDF homopolymers and copolymers are synthesized commercially as stable aqueous latexes, or using suspension processes in which larger particle sizes are produced. Nearly all grades are melt and solution processable and are relatively low-cost fluoropolymers with excellent weatherability and resistance to chemical attack. They find application where excellent physical properties, coupled with ease of processability, are of critical importance. They are particularly useful in formulations for highly weatherable coatings, or processed for high-purity piping, porous membranes, binders for lithium ion batteries and photovoltaics, among others. PVDF, by volume, is the second-highest produced fluoropolymer worldwide, with the majority of demand from the USA, Europe, China and Japan. It continues to experience good market growth, and is projected to exceed a 5% volume increase per year for the foreseeable future.