Krytox is a registered
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from oth ...
of
The Chemours Company
Chemours (, ) is an American chemical company that was founded in July 2015 as a spin-off from DuPont
DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-Amer ...
. It refers to a group of colourless synthetic
lubricants (
oils and
greases) with a variety of applications. Invented by researchers at
DuPont, Krytox oils are
fluorocarbon ether polymers of poly
hexafluoropropylene oxide, with a chemical formula: F−(CF(CF
3)−CF
2−O)
''n''−CF
2CF
3, where the
degree of polymerization, n, generally lies within the range of 10 to 60.
[
DuPont Krytox Performance Lubricants Product Overview, available onlin]
here
These compounds are collectively known by many names including
perfluoropolyether (PFPE), perfluoroalkylether (PFAE) and perfluoropolyalkylether (PFPAE). A unique identifier is their
CAS registry number, 60164-51-4.
In addition to PFPE, Krytox grease also contains
telomers of
PTFE and in fact was designed as a liquid or grease form of PTFE. It is thermally stable, nonflammable (even in
liquid oxygen), and insoluble in water, acids, bases, and most organic
solvent
A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...
s. It is nonvolatile and useful over a broad temperature range of or higher. Its high resistance to
ionizing radiation makes it useful for the aerospace and nuclear industries. Formulations exist which are able to withstand extreme pressure, resist outgassing in high vacuum, and operate under intense mechanical stress.
Other companies manufacture PFPE lubricants, such as
Solvay's Fomblin range, with some formulations having comparable properties.
Safety
The manufacturer states on Krytox tubes, "May cause mild skin and eye irritation. Contact with very hot surfaces (above 500°F/260°C) can generate fumes which can cause coughing or respiratory irritation. Large amounts could lead to lung damage which might not be apparent for several hours. These fumes may also cause
flu-like symptoms."
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Non-petroleum based lubricants
DuPont