1. Features of ETFE membrane

ETFE is the abbreviation of “Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene”. ETFE film has high tensile strength, impact strength and tear resistance. The thickness of ETFE film is usually 0.05-0.25mm. As the thickness increases, the hardness of the film will increase, and at the same time it will become more brittle, making it more difficult to process. The typical use of ETFE materials is to "weld" two or three layers of membrane material together, transporting them to the construction site, and then inflating them into an air pillow.

(1) Made of fluoroplastic which can also apply pre-tensioning force like fabric film.

(2) Resistance to temperature change, can be directly exposed to the temperature of -200 ℃ -150 ℃

(3) The transmittance of ETFE film can be as high as 95%. The material does not block the transmission of light such as ultraviolet rays to ensure natural light inside the building. By printing on the surface, the translucency of the material can be further reduced to 50%.

(4) Unique anti-adhesive surface makes it highly anti-fouling and easy to clean, usually the main dirt can be removed by rain

(5)ETFE film meets B1, DIN4102 fire rating standards, and does not drip when burning. The thickness is usually 0.05mm-0.25mm, and the film is very light, only 0.15KG-0.35KG per square meter. This feature makes it has considerable advantages even in the case of film melting due to smoke and fire.

(6) ETFE membrane materials are completely recyclable materials, which can be reused to produce new membrane materials or produce other ETFE products after separation of impurities.

(7) Good corrosion resistance characteristics and strong adhesion characteristics to metal, overcoming the non-adhesion defects of PTFE to metal, making ETFE become an ideal composite material with metal, which has excellent resistance to negative pressure.

(8)ETFE membrane has a service life of at least 25-35 years and is an ideal material for permanent multi-layer movable roof structures.

(9)It is usually used in buildings in the form of air cushions. The economic span of air cushions is generally 3-5M. Multiple air cushions can be connected together to form a large coverage space through steel structure, aluminum alloy structure or cable net. 

2.Features of PTFE

(1) The biggest feature of PTFE membrane is high strength. The thickness of medium-strength PTFE membrane is only 0.8mm, but its tensile strength has reached the level of steel. In addition, the modulus of elasticity is low, which is conducive to the formation of complex curved shapes of the film material.

(2) Wide operating temperature range, can be used in the temperature range of -70 ℃ -230 ℃

(3) With unique optical properties, the incident light becomes natural warm light during the day, preventing glare, no shadows, uniform light distribution, almost no ultraviolet transmission, preventing the fading of internal decoration materials and equipment, and high reflection performance at night. It has excellent lighting effect, reduce power consumption, and can set off the splendor of buildings in the night sky.

(4) Good self-cleaning, rainwater can wash away the attachments on the surface.

(5) With high light transmittance, the light transmittance is 13%, the heat energy reflectivity is 73%, and the heat absorption is very small

(6) Service life is more than 25 years

3.Comparision

ETFE film has good durability, easy cleanliness and stability. It is a typical non-woven film and the most advanced film material in the world.

The chemical name of PTFE is polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a chemically inert material. It uses glass fiber as the base material to form a PTFE membrane. PTFE also has excellent durability, cleanliness and stability. The PTFE membrane used in the National Stadium is a sound-absorbing membrane in the ceiling area and a waterproof membrane in the inner ring facade, depending on the location. After testing, the fire resistance of ETFE membrane and PTFE membrane can reach B1 level, which is a flame-resistant material.

In comparison, ETFE film has higher light transmission and better chemical resistance than PTFE film, can resist most acids and alkalis. ETFE film has strong natural aging resistance and good processability and mechanical properties because ETFE film is directly formed of plastic and has no substrate, its tensile strength and tear resistance are not as good as PTFE film, and it has high one-time investment, high maintenance costs , and poor resistance to sharp objects.