Sumitomo Electric Industries : Releases Cross-Linked Fluororesin FEX™ Tape with Approximately 1,000 Times Higher Wear resistance
December 02, 2021 at 09:12 pm EST
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In order to reduce environmental burden, tape products with more functionalities are increasingly needed. FEX™ tape can be used extensively and effectively as an alternative to conventional fluororesin tapes. While Sumitomo Electric expects annual sales of about 100 million yen in 2023, the Company anticipates that there will be increasing applications where FEX™ tape is useful since environmental consideration is increasingly required in today's society.Sumitomo Electric will continue to support manufacturing industry around the world by meeting social needs with its unique material and application development technologies.
*1
PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a linear polymer of fluorine (F) and carbon (C). Since the bonding force between C and F is extremely strong and stable, it has excellent properties, such as extremely high slipperiness (the lowest level of friction in solids), non-adhesiveness, heat resistance, chemical resistance, and weather resistance. In addition, due to its lowest electronegativity and polarity among macromolecules, it is difficult for foreign molecules to adhere to it, and the fluorine molecules are weakly bonded to each other, making them prone to wear.
*2
The wear resistance of cross-linked fluororesin FEX™ has been improved up to approximately 1,000 times by applying a cross-linking reaction (see *3)to PTFE in order to overcome the weaknesses described in *1 while maintaining the original excellent properties.
*3
A technology to irradiate polymer materials with electron beams. Sumitomo Electric introduced Japan's first commercial electron beam accelerator in 1964, starting the production and sales of the heat shrink tubing "SUMITUBE™," the heat-resistant tubing "IRRAX™ TUBE," and the modified engineering plastic "TERALINK™." This time, very strong covalent bonds were formed by irradiating PTFE with an electron beam under special conditions to generate a cross-linking reaction, which forms "bridges" between molecular chains. Therefore, various properties, such as heat resistance, chemical resistance, and wear resistance, have been improved.
■Related Links
・Electronic Components
・The Cross Linked Fluorine Resin FEX™
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Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. published this content on 03 December 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 03 December 2021 02:11:06 UTC.
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. is one of the world's leaders of electric wires and cables, and fiber optic manufacturing. Net sales (including intragroup) break down by sectors of activity as follows:
- automotive (54.8%): cable beams, rubber anti-vibration products, etc.;
- energy and environment (21.1%): copper electric wires, electric cables, magnet wires, power cables, etc.;
- electronic (7.8%): electronic wires, semiconductors components, electronic components, printed circuit boards, etc.;
- information and communication (7.5%): fiber optic cables, optic components, network cabling systems, etc.;
- others (8.8%): primarily steel special wires.
Net sales break down geographically as follows: Japan (42.7%), China (19.7%), Asia (10.7%), the United States (11.8%), the Americas (4.2%) and other (10.9%).
SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD. 
