PCTFE, or polychlorotrifluoroethylene, is a fluorinated polymer obtained by polymerization of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE).

What distinguishes PCTFE from PTFE is that a chlorine atom replaces a fluoride atom in the base monomer. The larger size of the chlorine atoms compared to the fluorine atoms creates irregularities in the polymer chain. The interatomic distances in the chain increase and there is a decrease in crystallinity compared to the PTFE chain, resulting in a lower melting point (218 °C).

Like all fluorinated polymers, PCTFE possesses the properties that originate from the presence of fluorine atoms, such as a low coefficient of friction, good chemical resistance and high water impermeability.

Finally, it should be added that this material has the ability to retain all of the properties listed here over a wide range of temperatures from -240 to 204 °C, making it suitable for a wide variety of applications.

Because of its unique combination of properties, PCTFE has found its way into many industries, including cryogenics and other ultra-low temperature applications, nuclear, chemical, medical, defense, electrical and electronics, and aerospace.