PVDF · grade · default condition
PVDF Unfilled
Properties of the Unfilled condition, compared with the other PVDF grades.
Default choice for chemical piping, valves, fittings, tanks liners and machined stock shapes where full chemical/UV resistance and 150 °C service are needed.
What is PVDF Unfilled?
PVDF Unfilled is PVDF in the Unfilled grade — default choice for chemical piping, valves, fittings, tanks liners and machined stock shapes where full chemical/UV resistance and 150 °C service are needed. PVDF Unfilled has a yield strength of 50 MPa (7.25 ksi) and a tensile strength of 50 MPa (7.25 ksi) — weaker than 52% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 60% and the elastic modulus is 2.1 GPa (0.305 Msi). PVDF Unfilled has a density of 1.78 g/cm³ (0.0643 lb/in³), heavier than 94% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -40°C (-40 °F).
Advantages
- Good UV / weathering resistance — 96/100, better than 98% of polymer grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 92/100, better than 91% of polymer grades
- Readily welded — 88/100, better than 91% of polymer grades
- Low moisture uptake — 0.04%, better than 86% of polymer grades
- High service temperature — 150°C (302 °F), better than 78% of polymer grades
Limitations
- Heavy — 1.78 g/cm³ (0.0643 lb/in³), worse than 94% of polymer grades
- High mold shrinkage — 2.5%, worse than 93% of polymer grades
- High embodied carbon — 8.5 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 86% of polymer grades
PVDF Unfilled properties
Typical room-temperature values for PVDF Unfilled — 11 properties are specific to this condition; the rest are grade-level values shared by every PVDF grade. Each bar shows where the value sits among the polymer grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher.
Physical6
PVDF Unfilled has a density of 1.78 g/cm³ (0.0643 lb/in³), heavier than 94% of polymer grades. Its glass-transition temperature is -40°C (-40 °F).
Mechanical16
PVDF Unfilled has a yield strength of 50 MPa (7.25 ksi) and a tensile strength of 50 MPa (7.25 ksi) — weaker than 52% of polymer grades. Elongation at break is 60% and the elastic modulus is 2.1 GPa (0.305 Msi).
Thermal11
PVDF Unfilled is rated for continuous service to 150°C (302 °F). It conducts heat at 0.19 W/m·K (0.11 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 69% of polymer grades. Thermal expansion is 130 µm/m·K (72.2 µin/in·°F).
Electrical7
PVDF Unfilled is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 22 kV/mm (558.8 V/mil) and a resistivity of 2×10¹² Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is excellent (92/100), better than 91% of polymer grades. UV resistance is excellent.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of PVDF Unfilled takes about 145 MJ of energy and emits 8.5 kg of CO₂ — more than 83% of polymer grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability8
PVDF Unfilled's machinability is very good (75/100, better than 78% of polymer grades); weldability excellent (88/100); formability good (60/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Other PVDF grades and fills
PVDF is also supplied in 4 other conditions. The full side-by-side table is on the PVDF overview.
- UnfilledDefaultDefault choice for chemical piping, valves, fittings, tanks liners and machined stock shapes where full chemical/UV resistance and 150 °C service are needed.50 MPa tensile
- GFUse where stiffness, creep resistance under load and dimensional stability at 100–150 °C matter more than ductility and impact (pump housings, impellers, structural chemical hardware).85 MPa tensile
- FDAPick when the part contacts food, pharma fluids or UPW and needs FDA 21 CFR 177.2510 / USP Class VI / EU 10-2011 documentation; mechanicals equal the unfilled grade.50 MPa tensile
- ESDUse for high-purity chemical delivery tubing, fittings and wafer-handling parts where static build-up in flowing solvents or DI water must be bled away.42 MPa tensile
- COPOChoose for flexible tubing, film, liners, cable jacketing and battery binders where impact and low-temperature flexibility matter more than stiffness and peak service temperature.33 MPa tensile
Working with PVDF Unfilled
Is PVDF easy to machine?
Machines cleanly like a tough nylon with sharp positive-rake carbide tools, high speed and light feed; use coolant/air blast because low thermal conductivity plus a 172 °C melt causes smearing, and allow for stress relaxation on thin walls.
Can PVDF be welded?
Excellent hot-gas, butt-fusion, socket-fusion, IR and ultrasonic welding with PVDF filler rod (DVS 2207-15); joint efficiencies of 80–100 % are routine, but glass-filled grades weld poorly and adhesive bonding needs surface etch/plasma.
Can PVDF be formed, bent or molded?
Dry to <0.05 % is unnecessary (very low moisture pick-up) but keep melt 210–250 °C, mould 60–110 °C, avoid contact with acetal/PE regrind or ammonia-based additives (dehydrofluorination), and design for 2–3 % shrinkage with generous gates and slow cooling.
What surface finishes work on PVDF?
Naturally UV- and weather-stable so no coating is required; surfaces can be flame/plasma/sodium-etch treated for printing or bonding, and parts can be machined-polished or bead-blasted but not plated.
PVDF chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| fluorine (by mass of polymer)theoretical F content of -(CH2-CF2)- unit | 58 – 60 | 59 |
| glass fiberonly in GF variant | 0 – 30 | 0 |
| carbon blackonly in ESD/conductive variant | 0 – 8 | 0 |
| vinylidene fluoride (VDF, CH2=CF2) repeahomopolymer; copolymer grades contain 5–25 % HFP or CTFE comonomer | balance | — |
PVDF Unfilled — frequently asked
What is PVDF Unfilled used for?
PVDF Unfilled is typically used for high-purity chemical piping and fittings, valve bodies and diaphragms, pump bodies and impellers, semiconductor wet-bench fluid handling, pharmaceutical process tubing and tanks and battery binders and separators. In short: chemical resistant expert.
What is the yield strength of PVDF Unfilled?
PVDF Unfilled has a typical yield strength of 50 MPa (7.25 ksi) and a tensile strength of 50 MPa (7.25 ksi) — weaker than 52% of polymer grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 5 listed tempers.
Is PVDF Unfilled easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated very good (75/100, better than 78% of polymer grades). Machines cleanly like a tough nylon with sharp positive-rake carbide tools, high speed and light feed; use coolant/air blast because low thermal conductivity plus a 172 °C melt causes smearing, and allow for stress relaxation on thin walls.
Can PVDF Unfilled be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated excellent (88/100). Excellent hot-gas, butt-fusion, socket-fusion, IR and ultrasonic welding with PVDF filler rod (DVS 2207-15); joint efficiencies of 80–100 % are routine, but glass-filled grades weld poorly and adhesive bonding needs surface etch/plasma.
What surface finishes work on PVDF Unfilled?
Naturally UV- and weather-stable so no coating is required; surfaces can be flame/plasma/sodium-etch treated for printing or bonding, and parts can be machined-polished or bead-blasted but not plated.
Can PVDF Unfilled be formed, bent or molded?
Dry to <0.05 % is unnecessary (very low moisture pick-up) but keep melt 210–250 °C, mould 60–110 °C, avoid contact with acetal/PE regrind or ammonia-based additives (dehydrofluorination), and design for 2–3 % shrinkage with generous gates and slow cooling.
What is the maximum service temperature of PVDF Unfilled?
PVDF Unfilled is rated for continuous use to about 150°C (302 °F), and briefly to 165°C. Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Can FabDigit make parts in PVDF Unfilled?
Yes — PVDF Unfilled is available for CNC machining, sheet metal and injection molding with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- Kynar & Kynar Flex PVDF Performance Characteristics and Data — Arkema (2023)
- Solef PVDF Design & Processing Guide — Solvay Specialty Polymers (Syensqo) (2022)
- TECAFLON PVDF stock shape datasheet — Ensinger (2023)
- CAMPUS plastics database — PVDF injection grades (ISO 527/75/180) — CWFG (2024)
- ASTM D3222 — Unmodified PVDF Molding Extrusion and Coating Materials — ASTM (2021)
- ISO 12086 — Fluoropolymer dispersions and moulding/extrusion materials — ISO (2006)
- Engineered Materials Handbook Vol.2: Engineering Plastics — ASM International (1988)
- PVDF (2026)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.