Teflon® Tanks for Liquid Rocket Fuel

For over 35 years, Holscot has been at the forefront of technology to manipulate Teflon* Fluoroplastic Films. The development of unique, sophisticated techniques to weld, thermoform and chemically treat these difficult materials provided the basis for the concept of Teflon* Fuel Tanks. Major users have included the Ministry of Defence, British Aerospace and Astrium.

* Made from 100% Teflon

* FEP ( PFA and ETFE also possible)

* Resistant to virtually all fluids and most gasses

* Thin Wall = Low Weight

* No outgassing at low vacuum

* No high front end tooling charges

* Quick delivery and prototypes a speciality

* Pigmented film can be used

* Outer surface can be etched to allow bonding to Carbon Fibre, Flexible Elastomer or Metals.

* Outer surface can be plated for extra inertness.

* Ideal for containment of any fluid. Completely inert.

Our development work in this field meant that, in the year 2000, Holscot was awarded third prize in the prestigious Du Pont Plunkett Awards for Innovation with Teflon®.

The Du Pont Plunkett Awards Programme were established in 1988 in honour of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the discovery of Teflon® PTFE Fluoropolymer Resin by Dr Roy J Plunkett, a Du Pont Scientist.

Mr David Joyce, Holscot Managing Director stated "We were selected to develop a one hundred percent Liquid Fuel Tank with thin wall sections. These have been found to be very useful in limiting permeation and containing the most aggressive propellants. The development is expected to lead to wide use of Liquid Fuel in Rockets particularly in view of the growing environmental issues restricting the use of solid fuel systems. The Fuel Tanks can be self supporting or laminated to rubber or carbon fibre"

The processes needed to manufacture the Fuel Tanks use most of the companies specialised fluoroplastic techniques including extrusion, vacuum forming, fusion welding and chemical etching to allow lamination to various substrates. The Du Pont Fluoropolymers used include Teflon® PFA and Teflon® FEP. Other Fluoropolymers such as Tefzel can also be used.

Teflon is a Du Pont Trademark