ABSTRACT
As with any raw material, recycling of fluoropolymers is very important. Most meltprocessible fluoropolymers can be reprocessed in a fashion similar to other thermoplastics. With polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) the situation is more complicated. Because of its high melt viscosity, it is difficult to remelt and mix with virgin material, particularly if it contains mineral fillers. Nevertheless, a significant amount of PTFE production scrap is being reused by cleaning, grinding, and using in that form for ram extrusion [1]. Moreover, it is often compounded with glass fiber, carbon fiber, bronze, molybdenum sulfide, and other high-performance polymers, such as polyimides or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).
