Saint-Gobain Film products are categorized by four distinct properties: release, protection, insulation and friction control. Their line of dielectric insulation materials, inclusive of their FluoroWrap® and CHEMFILM® brands, possess a range of dielectric strengths, dielectric constants and anti-static properties to fulfill the specific needs of electrical applications. These brands encompass a line of extruded PTFE, extruded fluoropolymer, skived fluoropolymer, cast fluoropolymer and polyimide films with inherent electrical properties, physical properties and dimensional tolerances.

Extruded PTFE films are typically converted into an insulated tape form for wire and cable applications. Available as a sintered or unsintered film, extruded PTFE provides a barrier with excellent dielectric strength, high-temperature stability and chemical resistance.

Extruded fluoropolymers are melt-processable fluoropolymers. They encompass the broadest fluoropolymer film product line on the market and are held to tight thickness tolerances, with nominal thickness ranging from 0.0005 inches to 0.010 inches. Extruded fluoropolymers are also available with cementable and bondable surface treatments.

Skived fluoropolymers are produced on webs up to 60 inches in width in a thickness range from 0.0005 to 0.125 inches. They have excellent surface flatness and are produced with extremely tight tolerance control. Skived films have several use cases and are an economical solution for many dielectric insulation requirements.

Cast PTFE Films are composed of thin layers that have been individually deposited, sintered and fused. Cast film can be produced with a at widths up to 50 inches in a thickness range up to .005 inches and possess greater uniformity than either skived or extruded films. Multilayer construction allows for the lamination of different polymers or polymer blends. These products are also available with cementable adhesive coatings and anti-static conductive treatments.

Polyimides have excellent electrical, thermal, physical and chemical properties. They are dimensionally stable, inherently isotropic and temperature resistant from -265° C to 400° C. These high-performance polymers address some of the most demanding electrical insulation applications.

Figure 1: CHEMFILM® PFA-PG general purpose film. Source: Saint-Gobain Specialty FilmsCHEMFILM® films

CHEMFILM high-performance films is Saint-Gobain Films’ broadest line of polymeric films. Inclusive of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), polyimide (PI) and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW PE) polymers, these films exhibit excellent dielectric properties with outstanding temperature and chemical stability.

CHEMFILM extruded ETFE, FEP and PFA

CHEMFILM extruded ETFE, FEP and PFA are melt-processable fluoropolymers. They have excellent dielectric properties, a wide use temperature range and are nearly chemically inert. These films are available with bondable surfaces and in several grades, including general purpose PFA films, general purpose FEP films and general purpose ETFE films.

CHEMFILM PFA-PG general purpose film exhibits excellent dielectric properties with a high level of chemical and stress crack resistance across a wide temperature and frequency range. The dielectric material is ideal for circuit board and flat cable fabrications as well as other demanding electrical insulation applications. It is also used as a release film during semiconductor encapsulation processes as it provides the highest continuous use temperature of any melt-processable fluoropolymer at 500° F.

CHEMFILM FEP-FG general purpose film has a lower use temperature when compared to PFA. It has a low dielectric constant of 2.1 at 1 kHz and excellent dissipation over a wide temperature and frequency range. These films provide for low signal distortion and attenuation when used in flexible printed circuits and flat cable applications.

Table 1: CHEMFILM extruded fluoropolymer films.

CHEMFILM ETFE-E2 general purpose film offers excellent weatherability and is stronger than PFA and FEP. It does, however, have a slightly lower use temperature than PFA or FEP. ETFE combines the outstanding chemical, thermal and dielectric properties of a fluoropolymer with the improved mechanical performance of advanced, engineering-grade plastics and is used as a photovoltaic frontsheet.

CHEMFILM Skived PTFE films

Figure 2: CHEMFILM® premium skived films. Source: Saint-Gobain Specialty Films

CHEMFILM skived PTFE films are manufactured from high-quality PTFE resins. These films have a use temperature of up to 500° F, have excellent dielectric properties and are available etched on one side for bonding. The CHEMFILM skived PTFE portfolio includes premium PTFE films, films with semi-conductive fillers and high modulus films.

· CHEMFILM T-100 premium skived PTFE film is heat and chemical resistant and commonly used in high-frequency microwave laminates and in printed circuit board fabrications.

· CHEMFILM T-100 R201 semi-conductive skived PTFE film is manufactured with conductive fillers for the dissipation of static electricity and is used as a wire and cable wrap.

· CHEMFILM T-500 high modulus skived PTFE film has a higher tensile strength, dielectric strength and lower elongation than other skived PTFE films. It is used as a high-temperature wire and cable insulation and as an aerospace and automotive wire harness wrap.

CHEMFILM Cast PTFE films

CHEMFILM cast PTFE films are produced through a proprietary process and feature a unique multi-layer construction. Very thin layers are individually deposited, sintered and fused together. This allows for a high degree of customization as different additives, polymers and polymer blends can be fused to achieve desired characteristics. CHEMFILM cast PTFE includes monolayer films, cementable adhesive coated films, anti-static conductive films and heat weldable films. Cast films are manufactured at thicknesses ranging from 0.17 to 5 mils.

· CHEMFILM type C, type CD (duplex wound) and DF100 monolayer films are thinner and more uniform than both extruded and skived PTFE. They are an excellent dielectric insulation material and are commonly used in energy storage devices.

· CHEMFILM DF1400 is composed of a non-conductive, fully fused, PTFE core and a conductive fluoropolymer coating. It has uniform tensile strength, is highly customizable and is often applied over jacketed wire and cable as an anti-static treatment.

Table 2: CHEMFILM fluoropolymer cast films and skived films.

CHEMFILM polyimide films

CHEMFILM polyimide films provide excellent physical and electrical properties in a lightweight package. These films are available in a thickness range of 1 to 3 mils with a maximum width of 61.8 inches and in continuous lengths of up to 10,000 ft. At 1 mil they cover 136 ft2/lb and have a nominal dielectric strength of 7,100 V/mil.

Figure 3: CHEMFILM polyimide films. Source: Saint-Gobain Specialty FilmsWidth tolerance on slit materials is held within 1/64 inches. They have outstanding chemical resistance, are dimensionally stable, have a tensile strength of up to 35,000 PSI and are temperature resistant in a range from -445° F to over 752° F. They are commonly used as a lightweight and strong insulation jacket material for aerospace applications, high-performance wire and cable insulation and as a process aid for belting and casting applications.

FluoroWrap® films

FluoroWrap fluoropolymers and heat-sealable polyimide-fluoropolymer composites are highly engineered barrier films. These high-performance films meet or exceed the electrical insulation requirements of the most demanding industrial, electronics, electrical and aerospace applications.

FluoroWrap low-density, extruded PTFE

Saint-Gobain’s E-series product line, FluoroWrap E5 and E7, are low-density, extruded PTFE films. These films are held to extremely tight thickness tolerances, are provided in long, joint-free lengths and have highly uniform physical properties.

Figure 4: Low signal loss high frequency coaxial cables. Source: Saint-Gobain Specialty FilmsSaint-Gobain’s low-density, extruded PTFE provides for low signal loss throughout the cable as the extruded polymer maintains physical uniformity across its entire length. These cables support low-signal loss, high-frequency cable applications. They are available in a thickness range of 2 to 10 mils and are RoHS and REACH compliant.

FluoroWrap polyimide-fluoropolymer composites

Polyimide is a dimensionally stable, inherently isotropic, tough material with exceptional dielectric strength. Saint-Gobain offers multiple composite tape configurations of polyimide with heat sealable FEP, PFA or PTFE to address high-performance insulation requirements and extreme applications, including aircraft power cables, magnet wires and submersible pump motor and power cables.

FluoroWrap heat-sealable polyimide-fluoropolymer composite tapes have excellent electrical, thermal, physical and chemical properties. They have a relative temperature index (RTI) of 455° F, a tensile strength of up to 30 kpsi and a dielectric strength as great as 7,000 V/mil. They are available in widths of 0.10 inches or greater on a standard 3 inch ID core in flat-pad, traverse wound and StableEdge packages.

Figure 5: FluoroWrap® polyimide-fluoropolymer composite applications. Source: Saint-Gobain Specialty FilmsThe complete FluoroWrap product range also encompasses FluoroWrap unsintered, extruded PTFE; FluoroWrap sintered, extruded PTFE; FluoroWrap laser-markable, extruded PTFE film; FluoroWrap skived PTFE film; and FluoroWrap cast fluoropolymer tapes.

Conclusion

Saint-Gobain Specialty Films FluoroWrap and CHEMFILM films are dielectric insulation materials. With engineering drawn on more than 40 years of experience, these films are engineered for specific applications and are available with surface treatments and polymer systems to address demanding insulation requirements. An expansive product offering ensures that Saint-Gobain customers always find the materials they need, especially for the industrial, electronics, energy, medical equipment and aerospace sectors. And Saint-Gobain is eager to partner with customers that have engineering challenges or are innovating new solutions.

Saint-Gobain Specialty Films provides solutions for wire and cable, 5G networks, flexible electronics, high-frequency coaxial cables, printed circuit board materials and aerospace electronics. To learn more about their dielectric insulation materials, visit their website, and contact them directly via phone at 1-888-225-2715.