ETFE, short for ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, is a durable, lightweight fluoropolymer used architecturally as a transparent or translucent film, typically formed into air-inflated multi-layer cushions or single-ply tensioned membranes, as an alternative to glass for roofing and cladding. Its architectural use grew from the 1980s onward and gained wide visibility with the Eden Project's biome domes in Cornwall, completed in 2001, and the exterior of Beijing's National Aquatics Center for the 2008 Olympics, valued for being roughly one percent the weight of equivalent glass, self-cleaning, highly transparent to ultraviolet light, and capable of spanning large curved or irregular forms with minimal supporting structure.
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Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia: ETFEQuote, Wikipedia: ETFE
Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is a fluorine-based plastic.
Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationWikipedia: ETFE, Applications section, on the Eden ProjectQuote, Wikipedia: ETFE, Applications section, on the Eden Project
ETFE was selected because it can be printed and layered to control solar conditions and because it was found to have a low friction coefficient, which saves on maintenance as dust and dirt do not stick.
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