The acceleration in the use of fluropolymer materials and in particular fluropolymer tubing in modern industry has been staggering since its accidental discovery back in 1938. Fluropolymer’s properties for friction and heat resistance as well as chemical stability has made fluropolymers an optimum choice for industries that demand materials that remain useful and safe in extreme conditions. Conditions such as: extreme heat, acidic environments or transfer of volatile liquids, electrical environments, and even in outer-space as Nasa has used fluropolymers on their shuttles.
Some of the industries commonly cited as the biggest users of fluropolymer tubing are also high growth industries including but not limited to: Medical, Laboratory Research, Pharmaceutical, Food Processing, Automotive, Aeronautic, Textile, Military, Electrical, Chemical, Food & Beverage Processing, 3D Printing, Petrochemical, and Robotics.
In 2010, the fluropolymer industry as a whole had a revenue of $5.8 billion dollars with an estimated growth rate of 6.5%. By 2019 the fluropolymer market is estimated to reach a net worth of $8.8 billion or higher and at least one report from Gran View Research has the fluropolymer market reaching $11.11 Billion by 2022. These figures are not precise and estimates do vary. As technology advances and more & more technology companies are born, the use of these materials are only primed to increase.
Research into the applications of fluropolymers has also spiked. The American Chemical Society published a study in 2011 that the number of citations regarding fluropolymers in scientific research per year in 1993 was well under 500, but in 2011 had topped 4000.
Fluropolymers and fluropolymer tubing has become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. As industry has become more keenly aware of the benefits and the dynamic range of the uses of fluropolymers, they have continued to apply these materials to products and devices that we use everyday.
