PFOA is essential to help manufacture most fluoropolymers, which are widely used in areas ranging from environmental protection to public safety to defense and national security.

Examples of the multiple benefits to society of these products include:

Public and worker safety

Protecting firefighters. Fluoropolymers are essential in the manufacture of durable fire-retardant fabrics that help shed water, resist abrasion and retain insulation, which in turn diminishes the chance for burns.

Protecting aircraft crew and passengers. The risk of fire from insulation materials in aircraft is significantly reduced by the use of fluoropolymer-based composites for wiring insulation.

Protecting workers. Protective garments made of nylon or polyester coated with chemically resistant polymers (such as polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE, a type of fluoropolymer) protect workers from corrosive, alkaline or acidic chemicals.

Protecting astronauts. Fluoropolymer technology is used to make the special (white) non-flammable outer-covering of astronauts' spacesuits, which protect astronauts against such hazards as micrometeoroids and from temperatures ranging from -150ºC to +120ºC.

Protecting office workers. The risk of fire in office buildings is reduced due to fluoropolymers used to insulate wire and cable placed in the air space between a suspended ceiling and the structural floor above. This space is generally used for low-voltage data transmission materials, such as phone cables, computer wire and cables, coaxial cable and hookup wire. Flame-resistant fluoropolymers do not interfere with signal transmission and are good insulators of low-voltage electricity.

Everyday benefits

Protecting our health. Fluoropolymer linings and packaging protect pharmaceuticals from contamination during processing, storage and distribution.

Protective outdoor gear. Hikers, campers, joggers, fishermen, hunters, skiers, cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts depend on lightweight and breathable fabrics. These are made possible by a thin PTFE membrane that can be bonded to a variety of fabrics, such as nylon or polyester. The resulting laminates are waterproof and keep out chilling wind, while at the same time allow body perspiration to escape.

Better cookware. One of the most familiar consumer applications of fluoropolymers is PTFE-coated, “non-stick” cookware, which is widely used for no- and low-fat frying for health purposes. Other applications for these coatings include steam irons, tools and gardening implements.

Better weather resistance in structures. Fluoropolymer coatings and finishes are valued for their ability to withstand prolonged exposure to severe climatic conditions. They are applied to metals such as aluminum, aluminized steel and galvanized steel for use on exterior surfaces for warehouses, power plants, monument-type structures and other commercial buildings. Fluoropolymer-coated fiberglass is used for dome coverings for large buildings such as the sports stadiums in Pontiac, Michigan, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is also beginning to be used to protect residential roofing and aluminum siding.

Environmental benefits

Reduced automobile air pollution. Fluoropolymers are used primarily to reduce evaporative loss during the transport of fluids, including reformulated fuels. Fluoropolymers' flame and fire resistance are especially valuable properties in under-the-hood fuel systems. Without fluoropolymers, there would be higher hydrocarbon fuel and lubricant consumption and increased air, ground and water pollution. Fluoropolymers exhibit 50 to 100 times better fuel permeation resistance than hydrocarbon polymers, allowing the auto industry to meet the stringent hydrocarbon emission requirements of the Clean Air Act.

Increased fuel efficiency. The smaller, more fuel-efficient engines in today's cars have higher oil and engine compartment temperatures and run at higher speeds. To protect the engine and drive-train lubricants from thermal degradation, lubricant manufacturers rely on harsh chemical additives that attack ordinary sealing materials. Auto manufacturers use fluoroelastomers and PTFE seals and gaskets to withstand these aggressive temperatures and lubricant additives.

Reduced chemical emissions. For power utilities, chemical manufacturing facilities and petroleum refineries, fluoroelastomers are critical components in pollution control devices employed to meet Clean Air Act requirements, to contain chemicals and to prevent their release into the environment. Nonwoven fabrics made of PTFE fibers are used in scrubbers and filters that reduce the emissions of air pollutants from manufacturing and power generation plants. These nonwoven fluoropolymer fabrics also protect against worker exposure to hazardous chemicals used in these industries.

Protected solar panels. Thin fluoropolymer films are used as protective coatings for solar panels to conserve energy. Fluoropolymer films show minimal degradation despite constant UV radiation exposure. They are also excellent at transmitting light, making them ideal for solar panel coatings.

National security benefits

Protection against chemical warfare agents. Skin exposure reduction paste containing PTFE is used by the military as a physical barrier to reduce or delay skin exposure to chemical warfare agents.

Protecting ships and submarines. Fluoropolymers are used as valving material for nuclear power plants on ships and submarines. Because they are radiation-resistant, they do not degrade even in contact with radioactive (contaminated) water, minimizing the threat of leaks or spills.

Vital uses in aircraft and aerospace. Because of their high strength-to-weight ratio, advanced fluoropolymer composites are used in aircraft and aerospace applications such as fuselages, wing skins and engine housings. The aircraft and aerospace industry also makes extensive use of temperature- and chemical-resistant fluoroelastomer seals and O-rings.

Exceptional performance in other demanding applications. Fluoroelastomers and fluoropolymer seals allow for hydraulic and pneumatic systems to run at both extremely high and extremely low temperatures.

Industry and consumer benefits

Affordable, reliable high-tech products. The semiconductor industry uses high-purity fluoropolymers for silicon wafer carriers, pumps, pipe and fittings, filtration systems and tubing to handle ultrapure materials (such as deionized water) or in the presence of corrosive chemicals. Fluoropolymers are the only materials that meet the industry's needs. The end result is affordable and reliable high-tech consumer products.

More efficient, better-performing cars. The automotive industry uses fluoropolymers in a wide range of applications. They are in the body, chassis and suspension, in the power steering assembly and in delicate sensor assemblies. They protect passengers through their uses in seatbelt guides, brake assemblies and windshield wiper blades. They are in strut piston seals; gas spring components; automotive fluids such as gear-lubricating fluids, engine oils and other "extended life" lubricants; self-lubricating tubing for push-pull cables; sliding elements for shock absorbers, and sliding elements for door hinges. They are also used in heat/cooling system management, in wire and cable insulation and jacketing, in the fuel and emission system and in the power-train.

Efficient oil and natural gas production. The trend in drilling has been toward increasingly deeper wells where high pressures, high temperatures and corrosive chemical environments are encountered. Fluoroelastomers are ideally suited for "down-hole" applications such as seals, valves, packings and liners. In the oil field, oil well blowout protectors are coated with fluoropolymers to make sure they will work, even after months or years of exposure to the environment.

Better chemical processing. Chemical processing industries make extensive use of fluoropolymers, where they are used for gaskets, valve components, anticorrosion linings for fittings, pumps, reinforced tubes, hoses, valves, tanks, vessels, heat exchangers, laboratory equipment, instrumentation, and pipes; dip tubes; expansion bellows; nozzles; pump packings; seals; cladding (a protective or insulating layer) for chemical processing equipment; microporous and ultrafiltration membranes; pipe plugs; seal glands (for pumps), and tower packings. These applications allow the chemical industry to produce high-purity and affordable components for pharmaceuticals and a wide range of consumer and industrial products.

Electrical safety. The same electrical and safety qualities that make fluoropolymers useful for data transmission cables also increase electrical safety in cable connectors, cable jacketing, circuit breakers, heat trace cable, leak trace cable, stand-off insulators and tubing.