{"id":8089,"date":"2022-04-14T11:39:11","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T09:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.canobbio.com\/the-use-of-etfe-in-building-architecture\/"},"modified":"2023-05-03T10:22:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-03T08:22:59","slug":"the-use-of-etfe-in-building-architecture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.canobbio.com\/en\/the-use-of-etfe-in-building-architecture\/","title":{"rendered":"The use of ETFE in building architecture"},"content":{"rendered":"

So-called ETFE<\/strong> has now become one of the most popular materials among architects<\/strong> around the world and is finding more and more applications in construction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

ETFE stands for Ethylene-Tetrafluoro-Ethylene<\/strong>, a thermoplastic polymer containing fluorine atoms, which thanks to their exceptionally strong bond<\/strong>, give life to a transparent plastic material able to withstand high levels of thermal stress and chemical aggression<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

EFTE is used in tensile panels or pneumatic cushions that cover architectural buildings<\/strong>, usually embedded in a lightweight aluminum structure.<\/p>\n

The construction phase of the EFTE involves the assembly of several overlapping layers<\/strong> welded together: a system that recreates a real air chamber able to control the degree of permeability to light and heat of the individual elements<\/strong>, affecting the level of insulation of the envelope and its energy performance.<\/p>\n

\"etfe\"<\/p>\n

History of ETFE<\/strong><\/h3>\n

ETFE was discovered by American chemist Roy Plunkett<\/strong> in the 1940s <\/strong>inside a cylinder of tetrafluoroethene occlusase following a mistake.<\/p>\n

The first application that was thought at that time was in the military sector<\/strong>, until in the early ’80s, a mechanical engineering student from Bremen, Stefan Lehnert<\/strong>, a passionate sailor, researching new technologies for sailing<\/strong>, found in ETFE incredible potential suitable for the construction industry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In 1982<\/strong> the first building made of ETFE was built: the “Mangrove House,”<\/strong> a large pavilion intended for the Dutch Zoo in Arnhem, although the project that really made this material famous was the “Eden Project,”<\/strong> a massive geodesic greenhouse built in Cornwall in 1996, considered one of the best results of integration between sustainable architecture and environmental restoration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Characteristics of ETFE<\/strong><\/h3>\n