Tehrasha Darkon wrote:
On Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:58:32 -0400, Bob Spooner wrote:

Just be careful when working with teflon. NASA rules require that
thermal stripping of teflon wire be done in a hood because the fumes are
poisonous.

Watermellons are dangerous too. If you feed one to a lab rat too
quickly, it will explode! So be extra careful when eating watermellons.


You might want to read this one:

http://www.mikeholt.com/documents/mo...EP2003MSDS.pdf


I'll take the watermelon over teflon fumes any day.


- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

Michael Coslo wrote:

You might want to read this one:

http://www.mikeholt.com/documents/mo...EP2003MSDS.pdf


I'll take the watermelon over teflon fumes any day.

Although not unheard of, FEP is less commonly found in cables than PTFE.
Do you have a link for the PTFE hazard sheet?

Both are Teflon, which is a DuPont trade name for a variety of related
materials.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Roy Lewallen wrote in
:

Michael Coslo wrote:

You might want to read this one:

http://www.mikeholt.com/documents/mo...FEP2003MSDS.pd
f


I'll take the watermelon over teflon fumes any day.

Although not unheard of, FEP is less commonly found in cables than
PTFE. Do you have a link for the PTFE hazard sheet?

Both are Teflon, which is a DuPont trade name for a variety of related
materials.


http://msds.dupont.com/msds/pdfs/EN/...2f80006d37.pdf

for the Delrin PFTE. It looks like very similar effects. It is something
that this very stable chemical undergoes such a transformation when very
hot.

What bothered me a little bit was that this stuff is used in fireworks.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

Thanks for the additional link.

I had the problem of stripping some very fine PTFE insulated wire some
years ago, and had to search a bit to find a stripper to do it. It was
fairly expensive, and was a lot like a conventional wire stripper except
that the insulation was cut by means of a couple of blades which
momentarily heated to red hot temperature when they came together over
the wire. I'm sure I breathed some of the resulting fumes, with no ill
effects. I wonder how much exposure is necessary in order to produce the
symptoms listed in the hazard sheet.

In any case, I doubt that many amateurs use a thermal stripper for PTFE.
I do fairly routinely heat PTFE insulated semi-rigid coaxial cable to
around 350 C (700 F) when soldering it. That results in extrusion of
PTFE from the tube, but no obvious fumes. And so far none of the
symptoms listed in the hazard sheet.

I'd think that a Teflon coated frying pan could easily reach 300 - 400
C. What's the function of PTFE in fireworks?

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Mike Coslo wrote:
Roy Lewallen wrote in
:

Michael Coslo wrote:
You might want to read this one:

http://www.mikeholt.com/documents/mo...FEP2003MSDS.pd
f


I'll take the watermelon over teflon fumes any day.
Although not unheard of, FEP is less commonly found in cables than
PTFE. Do you have a link for the PTFE hazard sheet?

Both are Teflon, which is a DuPont trade name for a variety of related
materials.


http://msds.dupont.com/msds/pdfs/EN/...2f80006d37.pdf

for the Delrin PFTE. It looks like very similar effects. It is something
that this very stable chemical undergoes such a transformation when very
hot.

What bothered me a little bit was that this stuff is used in fireworks.

- 73 de Mike KB3EIA -

Roy Lewallen wrote in
:

Thanks for the additional link.

I had the problem of stripping some very fine PTFE insulated wire some
years ago, and had to search a bit to find a stripper to do it. It was
fairly expensive, and was a lot like a conventional wire stripper
except that the insulation was cut by means of a couple of blades
which momentarily heated to red hot temperature when they came
together over the wire. I'm sure I breathed some of the resulting
fumes, with no ill effects. I wonder how much exposure is necessary in
order to produce the symptoms listed in the hazard sheet.

In any case, I doubt that many amateurs use a thermal stripper for
PTFE.

I used to use a type that had jaws that clamped down on the wire from
the front, and after heating up you would just pull and the insulation
would come off. They were kind of nice because you just didn't nick a
wire ever with them.

I could even use a regular pair of strippers, although they would leave
a little nib of insulation that I had to trim off with a nippper.

While I suspect that the thermal strippers are probably safe, I have to
say that the fumes given off were pretty unpleasant.

I do fairly routinely heat PTFE insulated semi-rigid coaxial cable
to
around 350 C (700 F) when soldering it. That results in extrusion of
PTFE from the tube, but no obvious fumes. And so far none of the
symptoms listed in the hazard sheet.

400 C is the apparant magic temp. Below that it is pretty inert.


I'd think that a Teflon coated frying pan could easily reach 300 - 400
C.

There has been accounts of Teflon pans overheating and causing harm to
pet birds. I've looked at some of the evidence, and although some of the
people are kooks, I think that a badly overheated pan will release HF
gas.


What's the function of PTFE in fireworks?

It is used as an oxidizer.