Table reproduced from: Glüge, J., et al., An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 2020: DOI: 10.1039/d0em00291g
Use category/subcategory |
Function of PFAS |
Aerosol propellant |
Aerosol propellant |
Aerospace |
|
| Phosphate esterbased brake and hydraulic fluids | Corrosion protection |
| Gyroscopes | Flotation fluids in gyroscopes |
| Wire and cable | High-temperature endurance, fire resistance, and high-stress crack resistance |
| Turbineengine | Use as lubricant |
| Turbineengine | Use as elastomeric seals |
| Thermal control and radiator surfaces | Reject waste heat |
| Coating | Protect underlying polymers from atomic oxygen attack |
| Propellant system | Elastomers compatible to aggressive fuels and oxidizers |
| Jet engine/satellite instrumentation | Use as lubricant |
Air conditioning |
Working fluid |
Antifoaming agent |
Prevent foaming |
Ammunition |
Make the final product rubbery and reduce the likelihood of an unplanned explosion due to shock; enable long-term storage without degradation of the polymer |
Apparel |
|
| Breathable membranes | Polymeric PFAS are used as membranes |
| Longlasting durable Water repellent finish | Provide water and oil repellence, stain resistance and soil release |
Automotive |
|
| Car body | Weather resistance paint, no-wax brilliant top coat |
| Automotive waxes | Aid spreading, improve the resistance of the polish to water and oil |
| Windshield wiper fluid | Prevent icing of the wind shield |
| Car body | Light, stable |
| Engine and steering system | Polymeric PFAS are used as sealants and bearings |
| Engine oil coolers | Heat transfer fluid |
| Cylinder head coatings and hoses | Increase the fuel efficiency |
| Cylinder head coatings and hoses | Reduce the fugitive gasoline vapour emissions |
| Electronics | Cables and wires |
| Fuel lines, steel hydraulic brake tubes | Corrosion protection |
| Interior | Dirt repellent in carpets and seats |
| Brake pad additives | ? |
Biotechnology |
|
| Cell cultivation | Supply of oxygen and other gases to microbial cells |
| Ultrafiltration and microporous membranes | Prevent bacterial growth |
Building and construction |
|
| Architectural membranes e.g. in roofs | Resistance to weathering, dirt repellent, light |
| Greenhouse | Transparent to both UV and visible light, resistant to weathering, dirt repellent |
| Cement additive | Reduce the shrinkage of cement |
| Cable and Wire insulation, gaskets & hoses | High-temperature endurance, fire resistance, and high-stress crack resistance |
Chemical industry |
|
| Fluoropolymer processing aid | Emulsify the monomers, increase the rate of polymerization, stabilize fluoropolymers |
| Production of chlorine and caustic soda (with asbestos diaphragms cells) | Binder for the asbestos-fibre-based diaphragms |
| Production of chlorine and caustic soda (with fluorinated membranes) | Stable membrane in strong oxidizing conditions and at high temperatures |
| Processing aids in the extrusion of high and liner lowdensity polyethylene film | Eliminate melt fracture and other flow-induced imperfections |
| Tantalum, molybdenum, and niobium processing | Cutting or drawing oil |
| Chemical reactions | Inert reaction media (especially for gaseous reactants) |
| Polymer curing | Medium for crosslinking of resins, elastomers and adhesives |
| Ionic liquids | Raw materials for ionic liquids |
| Solvents | Dissolve other substances |
Cleaning products |
|
| Cleaning compositions for hard surfaces | Enhance wettability |
| Carpet and upholstery cleaners | Provide stain resistance and repel soil |
| Cleaning compositions for adhesives | ? |
| Dry cleaning fluids | Stabilizer, improve the removal of hydrophilic soil |
| Cleaning of reverse osmosis membranes | Remove calcium sulphate |
Coatings, paints and varnishes |
|
| Paints | Emulsifier for the binder, dispersant for the pigments, wetting agent |
| Paints | Enhance the protective properties of anticorrosive paints |
| Paints | Antifouling on ships |
| Paints and coatings | Anti-crater, improved surface appearance, better flow and levelling, reduced foaming, decreased block, open-time extension, oil- and water repellency, dirt pickup resistance |
| Paints and coatings | Form second coat on a first coat |
| Coatings | Antistick and anticorrosive coatings |
| Coatings | Highly durable and weatherable |
Conservation of books and manuscripts |
Preserve historical manuscripts |
Cook and bakingware |
Prevent food from sticking to the pan/baking ware |
Dispersions |
Disperse solutions |
Electroless plating |
Disperses the pitch fluoride in the plating solution |
Electronical devices |
|
| Printed circuit boards | Use fibre-reinforced fluoropolymer layer |
| Capacitors | Separation of high voltage components (dielectric fluid) |
| Acoustical equipment | Provide an electrical signal in response to mechanical or thermal signals |
| Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) | Provide the liquid crystal with a dipole moment |
| Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) | Polymeric PFAS provide moisture sensitive coating for displays |
| Light management films in flat panel display | Reduced static electricity build-up and dust attraction during fabrication |
| Razors | Polymeric PFFAs is used on the razor |
| Electroluminescent lamps | Polymeric PFAS is used as coating |
Electroplating (metal plating) |
|
| Chrome plating | Prevent the evaporation of chromium(vi) vapour |
| Nickel plating | Non-foaming surfactant |
| Nickel plating | Increase the strength of the nickel electroplate by eliminating pinholes, cracks, and peeling |
| Copper plating | Prevent haze by regulating foam and improving stability |
| Tin plating | Help to produce a plate of uniform thickness |
| Alkaline zinc and zinc alloy plating | |
| Deposition of Fluoropolymer particles onto steel | Supported by fluorinated surfactants |
Electronic industry |
|
| Testing of electronic devices and equipment | Inert fluids for electronics testing |
| Heat transfer fluids | Cooling of electrical equipment |
| Solvent systems and cleaning | Form the basis of cleaning solutions |
| Carrier fluid/lubricant Deposition | Dissolve and deposit lubricants on a range of substrates during the manufacturing of hard disk drives |
| Etching of piezoelectric ceramic filters | Etching solution |
Energy sector |
|
| Solar collectors and photovoltaic cells | High vapour barrier, high transparency, great weatherability and dirt repellency |
| Photovoltaic cells | Adhesives with PFAS hold mesh cathode in place |
| Wind mill blades | Coating |
| Coalbased power plants | Polymeric PFAS filter remove fly ash from the hot smoky discharge |
| Coalbased power plants | Separation of carbon dioxide in flue gases |
| Lithium batteries | Binder for electrodes |
| Lithium batteries | Prevent thermal runaway reaction |
| Lithium batteries | Improve the oxygen transport of lithium–air batteries |
| Lithium batteries | Electrolyte solvents for lithium–sulfur batteries |
| Ion exchange membrane in vanadium redox batteries | Polymeric PFAS are used as membranes |
| Zinc batteries | Prevent formation of dendrites, hydrogen evolution and electrode corrosion due to adsorption onto the electrode surface |
| Alkaline manganese batteries | MnO2 cathodes containing carbon black are treated with a fluorinated surfactant |
| Polymer electrolyte fuel cells | Polymeric PFAS are used as membranes |
| Power transformers | Cooling liquid |
| Conversion of Heat to mechanical energy | Heat transfer fluids |
Fingerprint development |
Solvent |
Firefighting foam |
|
| Fluoroprotein (FP) foams | Fuel repellents |
| Filmforming Fluoroprotein (FFFP) Foam | Film formers, foam stabilizers |
| Alcoholresistant film forming fluoroprotein (ARFFFP) foam | Film formers, foam stabilizers |
| Aqueous filmforming foams (AFFF) | Film formers |
| Alcoholresistant aqueous film forming foam (ARAFFF) | Foam stabilizers |
Flame retardants |
|
| Polycarbonate resin | Flame retardants |
| Other plastic | Flame retardants |
Floor covering including carpets and floor polish |
Improve wetting and levelling |
| Soilrelease finishes for carpets | Provide water and oil repellence, stain resistance and soil release |
| Aftermarket Carpet protection | Provide water and oil repellence, stain resistance and soil release |
| Resilient linoleum | ? |
| Laminated floor covering | ? |
| Floor polish | Improve levelling and wetting |
Food production |
|
| Wineries and dairies | Final filtration before bottling with polymeric PFAS |
Glass |
|
| Surface Treatment | Make glass surfaces hydrophobic and oleophobic |
| Surface Treatment | Prevents misting of glass |
| Surface Treatment | Dirt-repellent |
| Surface Treatment | Fire-or weather resistant |
| Etching and polishing | Increase the speed of etching, improve wetting |
| Drying as Production step in glass finishing | Solvents in solvent displacement drying |
Household applications |
|
| Threads and joints | Polymeric PFAS is used for sealing |
Laboratory supplies, equipment and instrumentation |
|
| Consumable materials (vials, caps, tape) | Made out of polymeric PFAS |
| Personal protective equipment (gloves) | ? |
| Particle filters | Minimize the sorption of compounds to the filter itself |
| Solvents | Dissolve other substances |
| LC instruments | Polymeric PFAS are used in the solvent degasser |
| LC columns | Some columns are based on polymeric PFAS |
| Reverse phase LC-Solvents | can contain PFAS |
| Seals and membranes in UPLCs, autoclaves and ovens | are made out of polymeric PFAS |
| Oils and greases in pumps | Form a thick oil layer and reduced wear |
| Sterilization of an insulated vessel | Sterilization medium |
| Electro plotting | Protein-sequencing membranes are made out of polymeric PFAS |
| Analysing the phosphoamino content in proteins | Protein-sequencing membranes are made out of polymeric PFAS |
Leather |
|
| Manufacturing of genuine leather | Improve the efficiency of hydrating, pickling, degreasing and tanning |
| Repellent Treatment (genuine leather) | Provide water and oil repellence, stain resistance and soil release |
| Manufacturing of synthetic leather | Polymer melt additives that impart oil and water repellency to the finished fibres |
| Shoe brighteners | Improve the levelling of shoe brighteners |
| Impregnation spray | Provide water and oil repellence, stain resistance and soil release |
| Lubricants and greases | Form a thick oil layer and reduced wear |
| Machinery and equipment | ? |
Manufacture of metal products |
|
| Manufacture of basic metals | Inhibit the formation of acid mist during the electrowinning of copper |
| Manufacture of fabricated metal products | ? |
| Pickling of steel wires | Acid-pickling promoter |
| Treatment of Coating of metal surfaces | Promote the flow of metal coatings, prevent cracks in the coating during drying |
| Treatment of Coating of metal surfaces | Corrosion inhibitor on steel |
| Etching of aluminium in alkali baths | Improving the efficient life of the alkali baths |
| Phosphating process for aluminium | Fluoride-containing phosphating solutions help to dissolve the oxide layer of the aluminium |
| Cleaning of metal surfaces | Disperse scum, speed runoff of acid when metal is removed from the bath, increase the bath life |
| Water removal from processed parts | Solvent displacement |
Medical utensils |
|
| Electronic devices that rely on high frequency signals (defibrillators, pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), positron-emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices) | High dielectric insulators |
| Video endoscope | Use in charge-coupled device colour filters |
| Microbubble-based ultrasound contrast agents | Fluorinated gas inner core, which provides osmotic stabilization and contributes to interfacial tension reduction |
| Xray imaging | Contrast enhancement agents |
| Magnetic resonance imaging | Contrast agent |
| Proton and 19F NMR imaging | Contrast agents |
| Computed tomography and sonography | Contrast agents |
| Radio-opaque materials | Polymeric PFAS has been used |
| Surgical drapes and gowns | Improve water-, oil- and dirt-resistance |
| Xray films | Wetting agents, emulsion additives, stabilizers and antistatic agent |
| Dispersant | Facilitate the dispersion of cell aggregates |
| contact lenses | Raw material |
| Retinal detachment surgery and proliferative vitreoretinal | Endotamponade gases |
| Retinal detachment surgery and proliferative vitreoretinal | Intraoperative tool during vitreoretinal surgery |
| Eye drops | Delivery agent |
| filters, tubing, O-rings, Seals and gaskets in dialysis machines | Made out of polymeric PFAS |
| dialysis membranes | Made out of polymeric PFAS |
| Catheter, stents, and needles | Provide low-friction and clot-resistant coatings |
| Surgical patches and vascular Catheter | Use of polymeric PFAS |
| Blood transfer and artificial Blood | Oxygen carrier |
| Organ perfusion | Oxygen carrier |
| Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty | Oxygen carrier |
| Toothpaste | Enhances fluorapatite formation and inhibits caries |
| Dental floss | Allows the narrow ribbon to slip easily between close-pressed teeth |
| UV-hardened Dental restorative materials | Improve the wetting of the set materials |
| Ventilation of respiratory airway | ? |
| Anaesthesia | Polymeric PFAS is used to dry or humidify breath |
| artificial heart pump | Blood compatible and durable |
| Wound care | Cleaning burn residues |
Metallic and ceramic surfaces |
Generates easily removable sludge |
Mining |
|
| Ore leaching in Copper and gold mines | Increase wetting of the sulfuric acid or cyanide that leaches the ore |
| Ore leaching in Copper and gold mines | Acid mist suppressing agents |
| Ore floating | Create stable aqueous foams to separate the metal salts from soil |
| Separation of uranium contained in sodium carbonate and/or sodium bicarbonate solutions by nitrogen floatation | Improve the separation |
| Concentration of vanadium compounds | Destruction of the mineral structure, increases the specific surface area and pore channel thus facilitating vanadium leaching |
Music instruments |
|
| Guitar strings | Prevent loss of vibration due to residue build up |
| Piano keys | Contain polymeric PFAS |
| Piano | Eliminate squeaks in piano key |
Nuclear industry |
|
| Lubricants for valves and ultracentrifuge bearings in UF6 enrichment plants | PFAS are used as the lubricants |
Oil & gas industry |
|
| Drilling fluid | Foaming agent |
| Drilling – insulating material for cable and Wire | Polymeric PFAS are used as insulating material |
| Chemical driven oil Production | Increase the effective permeability of the formation |
| Chemical driven oil Production | Foaming agent for fracturing subterranean formations |
| Chemical driven oil Production | Heavy crude oil well polymer blocking remover |
| Chemical driven gas Production | Change low-permeability sandstone gas reservoir from strong hydrophilic to weak hydrophilic |
| Chemical driven gas Production | Eliminate reservoir capillary forces, dissolve partial solid, dis-assemble clogging, increase efficiency of displacing water with gas |
| Oil and gas transport | Lining of the pipes is made out of polymeric PFAS |
| Oil and gas transport | Reduce the viscosity of crude oil for pumping from the borehole through crude oil-in-water emulsions |
| Oil and gas storage | Aqueous layer with PFAS prevents evaporation loss |
| Oil and gas storage | Floating layer of cereal treated with PFAs prevents evaporation loss |
| Oil containment (injection a Chemical barrier into Water) | Prevents spreading of oils or gasoline on water |
| Oil and fuel filtration | Polymeric PFAS are used as membranes |
Optical devices |
|
| Glass Fibre optics | Able to include rare earth in glass fibre optics |
| Optical lenses | Provide optical lenses with low refractive index and high transparency |
Paper and packaging |
|
| Paper and cardboard | Provide water- and oil repellency |
| Manufacturing of Paper | Release agent for paper-coating compositions |
Particle physics |
|
| Particle accelerators | Part of the detection assemblies |
Personal care products |
|
| Cosmetics | Emulsifiers, lubricants, or oleophobic agents |
| Cosmetics | Make creams etc. penetrate the skin more easily |
| Cosmetics | Make the skin brighter |
| Cosmetics | Make the skin absorb more oxygen |
| Cosmetics | Make the makeup more durable and weather resistant |
| Hair-conditioning formulations | Enhance wet combing and render hair oleophobic |
Pesticides |
|
| Insecticide against the common housefly and carmine mite | Suffocation of the insect by the adsorbed fluorinated surfactant |
| Insecticide against ants and cockroaches | ? |
| Formulation additives | Anti-foaming agent |
| Formulation additives | Dispersant, facilitate the spreading of plant protection agents on insects and plant leaves |
| Formulation additives | Dispersant, increase uptake by insects and plants |
| Formulation additive | Wetting agent for leaves |
Pharmaceutical industry |
|
| Reaction vessels, stirrers, and other components | Use of polymeric PFAS instead of stainless steel |
| Ultrapure Water systems | Polymeric PFAS are used as filter |
| Packaging | Polymeric PFAS form moisture barrier film |
| Manufacture of “microporous” particles | Processing aid |
Photographic industry |
|
| Processing solutions | Antifoaming agent |
| Processing solutions | Prevent formation of air bubbles in the solution |
| Photographic materials, such as films and papers | Wetting agents, emulsion additives, stabilizers and antistatic agent |
| Photographic materials, such as films and papers | Prevent spot formation and control edge uniformity in multilayer coatings |
| Paper and plates | Anti-reflective agents |
Pharmaceuticals |
|
| Active ingredient (fulvestrant) | Estrogen antagonists, inhibits the growth stimulus that the estrogen exert on cells |
| Active ingredient | Pharmaceutical combination of dabigatran and proton pump inhibitors |
| formulation additives | Dispersant in self-propelling aerosol pharmaceuticals |
| formulation additives | Solvent |
Pipes, pumps, fittings and liners |
|
| Pipes, pipe plugs, seal glands, pump parts, fasteners, fittings and liners | Polymeric PFAS are used for these applications |
| Working fluid for pumps in the Electronics industry | Stable to reactive gases and aluminium chloride |
Plastic and rubber |
|
| plastic | Polymeric PFAS micropowder as additive ? |
| Thermoplastic | Plasticizer |
| Bonding of rubber to steel | Allow adhesiveness bonding |
| rubber and plastic | Antistatic agent |
| resin | Improve weatherability and elasticity |
| Polycarbonate resins | Flame retardant for polycarbonate resins |
Printing (inks) |
|
| Toner and printer ink | Enhance ink flow and levelling, improve wetting, aid pigment dispersion |
| Toner and printer ink | Impart water resistance to water-based inks |
| inkyet recording heads | Make them ink repellent |
| recording and printing Paper | ? |
| Lithographic printing plates | ? |
Production of plastic and rubber |
|
| Separation of mould and moulded material | Mould release agent |
| Separation of mould and moulded material | Reduce imperfections in the moulded surface |
| Foam blowing | Foam blowing agent |
| Polyol foams | Foam regulator |
| Polymer processing aid | Increase processing efficiency and quality of polymeric compounds |
| Etching of plastic | Wetting agent |
| Production of rubber | Antiblocking agent |
| Fluoroelastomer formulation | Additive in curatives |
Refrigerant systems |
|
| Refrigerant fluid system | Heat transfer fluid |
| Refrigerant compressor | Lubricants |
Sealants and adhesives |
|
| Sealants | Can be made out of polymeric PFAS |
| Silicone rubber Seals | Prevents soiling |
| adhesives | Improve levelling, spreading, and the penetration of the adhesive into the pore structure of the substrates |
| adhesives | Antistatic agent |
Semiconductor industry |
|
| Photoresist (itself) | Photoresist matrix, changes solubility when exposed to light |
| Photoresist (photosensitizer) | Increase the photosensitivity of the photoresist |
| Photoresist (photoacid generator) | Generate strong acids by light irradiation |
| Photoresist (quencher) | Controlling the diffusion of the acid to unexposed region |
| Antireflective Coating | Provide low reflectivity |
| Developer | Facilitate the control of the development process |
| Rinsing solution | Rinsing the photoresist to remove the developer |
| Etching | Wetting agent |
| Etching | Reduce the reflection of the etching solution |
| Etching | Etching agent in dry etching |
| cleaning of silicon wafers | Etch cleaning |
| cleaning of integrated circuit modules | Remove cured epoxy resins |
| cleaning vapour Deposition chamber | Remove dielectric film build up |
| Wafer thinning | Non-stick coating composition on carrier wafer |
| Vacuum pumps | Working fluid |
| Technical equipment in contact with process Chemical or reactive plasma | Polymeric PFAS are used in inert moulds, pipes and elastomers |
| Multilayer circuit board | Bonding ply composition |
Soil remediation |
|
| vapour barrier material on top of contaminated Soil | Evaporation retarder |
| Surfactants to mobilize pollutants | Surfactants to mobilize soil-bound contaminants in remediation |
Soldering |
|
| vapour phase fluids in vapour phase soldering | Heat transfer medium |
| Fluxing agent in solder paste | Low-foaming noncorrosive wetting agent |
Sport article |
|
| Ski wax | Highly water repellent |
| (Sailing) boat equipment | Weather protection of textiles; anti-fouling protection of ship hulls |
| Tennis rackets | Used in coatings for tennis rackets |
| Bicycle | Lubricants |
| Climbing ropes | Provide water repellence, stain resistance and soil release |
| Fishing lines | No water absorption, invisible in water, high knot strength |
| Golf gloves | Antifouling protection for the natural sheep leather of the glove |
Stone, concrete and tile |
Impart oil and water repellency to the surface; delay oxidation and ageing of surface |
Textile and upholstery |
|
| Surface Treatment | Provide water and oil repellence, stain resistance and soil release |
| Waving yarn | Facilitate waving |
Textile production |
|
| Dyeing and bleaching of textiles | Wetting agent |
| Dyeing process using sulphur dyes | Antifoaming agent |
| Dye transfer material | Release agent |
| Textile Treatment baths | Antifoaming agent |
| Fibre finishes | Emulsifying agent |
Tracing and tagging |
|
| Tracking air–borne pollutants | Tracer in air |
| Testing Ventilation systems | Tracer in air |
| Mapping gas and petroleum reservoirs | Tracer in gas or petroleum |
| Leak detection in cables, pipelines, landfill waste and underground storage tanks | Tracer in leaking material |
| Tracking of marked items | Tracer in the marked item |
Watchmaking industry |
|
| Lubricants | Form an oil layer and reduced wear |
| Drying as Production step after aqueous cleaning | Solvents in solvent displacement drying |
Water and effluent treatment |
|
| Filter membranes | Polymeric PFAS minimize the sorption of compounds to the filter itself |
Wire and cable |
Provide high-temperature endurance, fire resistance, and high-stress crack resistance |
Wood industry |
|
| Drum filtration during bleaching | The used coarse fabric is made out of polymeric PFAS |
| Coating for wood substrate | Clear coating is made out of polymeric PFAS |
| wood particleboard | Part of adhesive resin |