After being discovered by accident in a lab in 1938, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) eventually became an extremely valuable polymer used in a range of industries and products because of its many beneficial non-stick, temperature and chemical resistance properties.

PTFE has been used for decades to provide these and other unique benefits, such as enhanced surface protection; improved scratch, mar and abrasion resistance; reduced coefficient of friction (CoF) with a very slippery surface; and more. These properties led to the extensive use of PTFE in the coating and ink industries, particularly in the form of low-molecular weight PTFE micronized powders. PTFE was used for a variety of purposes, including to reduce the CoF of the film to aid mobility and to lubricate and protect surfaces from scratch and abrasion forces.

Low molecular weight per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), like PFOA, have come under increased regulatory scrutiny due to the persistence, toxicity, and widespread occurrence in the environment. For example, inclusion of PFOA and its salts inclusion to the Stockholm Convention list of persistent organic pollutants (POP) resulted in a global ban on use for ratifying countries. This action, among others, set strict limits on the amount of low molecular weight PFAS, like PFOA, allowed in PTFE. Therefore, a shift from traditional PTFE to be replaced with low-PFOA containing PTFE using low-PFOA resins has begun.

Low-PFOA PTFE

Lubrizol can help customers meet the technical challenges of reducing or removing PFOA from their products. We offer several reformulated wax additives to achieve low-PFOA PTFE content and offer low-PFOA containing PTFE wax additives that all still deliver excellent performance results. These additives are used to enhance and protect appearance, feel, slip, abrasion and scratch resistance, and overall durability of various coating and ink formulations.

Lubrizol low-PFOA PTFE content and low-PFOA containing PTFE wax additive technologies are available in micronized and dispersed forms of wax additives from the Lanco™ product portfolio. The product chart below identifies these wax additives.

PTFE-Containing Wax Additives

Product Name	Polymer Type	Particle Size (Dv50 µm)	Melting Point (°C)	System
Product Name	Polymer Type	Particle Size (Dv50 µm)	Melting Point (°C)	Water-Borne	Solvent-Borne	Powder	Radiation-Cured
Lanco™ TF 1720 C	PTFE-Modified PE Wax	≤8	125	○	●	●	●
Lanco™ TF 1725	PTFE Modified PE Wax	≤6	125	○	●	●	●
Lanco™ TF 1778 C	PTFE Modified PE Wax	≤6	102	○	●	●	●
Lanco™ TF 1780 C	PTFE Modified PE Wax	≤6	102	○	●	●	●
Lanco™ TF 1780 EFC	PTFE Modified PE Wax	≤5	102	○	●	○	○
Lanco™ 1793	Poly-tetrafluoroethylene	≤6	331		●	○	○
Lanco™ 1794	Poly-tetrafluoroethylene	≤8	331		●	○	○
Lanco™ SM 2001 C	PTFE-Modified Polyolefin Wax	≤9	105	○	●	●	●
Lanco™ TF 1830 N	PTFE Modified PE Wax	≤9	125			●
PowderAdd™ 9082	PTFE	≤600	340			●
PowderAdd™ 9083	PTFE Modified PE Wax	≤100	110			●
PowderAdd™ 9084	PTFE Modified PE Wax	≤15	125			●
PowderAdd™ 9680	PTFE	≤15	340			●

Compliant PTFE-Containing Waxes for Inks & Coatings