PFAS can keep hazardous substances sealed in when manufacturing or transporting chemicals

Many everyday consumer goods undergo chemical processing phases during their production. For instance, petroleum refinement and the manufacture of pharmaceutical drugs and foodstuff often requires the use of highly reactive chemicals such as corrosive acids. If such substances were to leak out into the open, they could prove to be extremely harmful for industrial workers. 

This is why chemical manufacturers rely heavily on a crucial component for the safe functioning of their plants: gaskets. These elastomeric mechanical seals fill the space between interconnected machines or storage containers, allowing the use and transportation of hazardous chemicals along the value chain while ensuring a sterile and leak-free industrial workspace. 

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) polymers are considered to be one of the most reliable materials for gaskets. In heavy industry settings, they are widely used due to their substantial chemical resistance, extremely high sealing ability, as well as other mechanical properties such as creep resistance, stress retention and low friction. In the food and pharmaceutical industries, PFTE’s excellent permeability resistance make it a critical substance to avoid life-threatening chemical pollution of edible products.