Fluid System Components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fluid system component comprising a thermoplastic polymer composition, the composition comprising one or more semi-crystalline polymers [polymer (A)], the semi-crystalline polymers comprising repeat units derived from ethylene (E) and at least one of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), and the semi-crystalline polymers have a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g, and the thermoplastic polymer composition has a leachability of less than 50 ppb, preferably less than 10 ppb, for each of Ca, Fe, K, Na, Zn, Ti, Sn, Ce, Cu, Zr, Bi, Si, Al, Sb when subjected to the Extraction Test described herein.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 19202277.0, filed October 9, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0002] The present invention relates to fluid system components that are particularly suitable for systems using pure and ultra-pure fluids, which may find application in the electronics industry, for example in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. [Background technology]

[0003] High purity and ultra-purity standards are becoming increasingly important in several technology fields, including chemical, hygiene, electronics, etc. One technology area where the specifications for ultra-purity components are becoming increasingly stringent is the electronics industry, especially the semiconductor industry. Fluids such as gases and liquids of various kinds are used in many processes in semiconductor manufacturing for various purposes (temperature control, etching, as solvents, to create a protective atmosphere, etc.).

[0004] Semiconductor manufacturers must use fluids, and especially fluid distribution systems, with high purity to avoid even minor degrees of contamination from metals, metal ions, organic compounds, particles, and the like.

[0005] The present invention relates to fluid distribution system components ("fluid system components") suitable for pure and ultra-pure fluids that may find application in electronics manufacturing facilities, such as semiconductor manufacturing facilities.

[0006] Ultra-pure fluids commonly used in the electronics industry include ultra-pure water, ultra-pure hydrofluoric acid, ultra-pure hydrogen peroxide, ultra-pure isopropyl alcohol, ultra-pure ammonium hydroxide, etc. The purity grades of such fluids are defined by industry standards under ASTM or SEMI standards known to those skilled in the art, depending on the specific application. Adherence to these standards is necessary to prevent contamination of electronic equipment and semiconductor materials. For example, widely used ultra-pure water quality requirements are documented by ASTM D5127 "Standard Guide for Ultra-Pure Water Used in the Electronics and Semiconductor Industries" and SEMI F63 "Guide for ultrapure water used in semiconductor processing".

[0007] Fluid system components used to transport and contain ultra-high purity fluids must also adhere to purity standards. Specific industry standards have been developed to define the materials that can be used in fluid system components for handling ultra-high purity fluids. In particular, the standards set forth in the standard "SEMI F-57" have been widely adopted by the semiconductor industry, although specific applications may impose different requirements that may be more or less stringent than the SEMI F-57 standard.

[0008] The SEMI F-57 standard considers five categories of contaminants: a) Total organic carbon (TOC) b) Seven ionic pollutants c) 16 types of metal contaminants d) particles e) Surface roughness.

[0009] The SEMI F-57 standard specifies maximum levels for each contaminant a)-d), typically in μg / m 2This defines a measure of surface roughness. Typically, contaminants are measured by extraction tests, where the surface of the material is treated with a selected solvent, and the amount of extractables is directly proportional to the surface treated, so that the level of contaminants is expressed in μg / m 2 (Ultrapure Water-May / June 2012 p.1-5,ISSN:0747-8291).

[0010] As mentioned above, fluid distribution systems are typically made from a number of different fluid system components that are connected together. Some fluid system components are described, for example, on the Saint Gobain Process System website under "electronics" (www.processsystems.saint-gobain.com). To comply with required standards, fluid system components in the semiconductor industry are typically made from selected materials that guarantee the ultra-high purity required by the specifications. PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) have been the materials of choice for these applications to date. PVDF in particular is preferred because it can be processed at low temperatures and is easier to extrude and mold than PTFE. These materials are resistant to most chemicals, have high strength, high stiffness, are resistant to high and low temperatures, are compatible with most chemicals, and more importantly, can be manufactured with smooth surfaces and purity levels sufficient to meet ultra-purity standards.

[0011] Nevertheless, the industry continues to seek new materials for manufacturing fluid system components that can be processed at lower temperatures, have similar desirable properties to PTFE and PVDF, and yet can pass more stringent purity tests. Summary of the Invention

[0012] In one aspect, the present invention relates to a fluid system component comprising a thermoplastic polymer composition, the composition comprising one or more semi-crystalline polymers [polymer (A)], the semi-crystalline polymers comprising repeat units derived from ethylene (E) and at least one of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and having a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g, the thermoplastic polymer composition having leachables of less than 50 ppb, preferably less than 10 ppb, for each of Ca, Fe, K, Na, Zn, Ti, Sn, Ce, Cu, Zr, Bi, Si, Al, Sb, when subjected to the extraction test described herein.

[0013] In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for manufacturing such a fluid system component.

[0014] In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of transporting or containing an ultra-high purity fluid comprising contacting the ultra-high purity fluid with one or more of such fluid system components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Fluid systems in electronics manufacturing facilities are typically used to distribute and contain ultra-high purity fluids, as described in the Background section of this application.

[0016] The term "fluid system component" according to the present invention generally includes each component that defines the path of a fluid to be transported, collected, and used in a fluid distribution system, for example in an electronics manufacturing facility, particularly a semiconductor manufacturing facility. Fluid system components include, for example, pipes (rigid and flexible), valves, fittings, pumps, manifolds, regulators, pressure regulators, static mixers, gauge protectors, filter housings, O-rings, and wet benches.

[0017] A fluid system component according to the present invention comprises a thermoplastic polymer composition, said composition comprising one or more semi-crystalline polymers [polymer (A)], said semi-crystalline polymers comprising repeat units derived from ethylene (E) and at least one of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and having a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g, said thermoplastic polymer composition having leachables of less than 50 ppb, preferably less than 10 ppb, for each of Ca, Fe, K, Na, Zn, Ti, Sn, Ce, Cu, Zr, Bi, Si, Al, Sb, when subjected to the extraction tests described herein.

[0018] The thermoplastic composition of the present invention comprises one or more semi-crystalline polymers (A) characterized by a low heat of fusion indicating a low level of crystallinity. Preferably, the thermoplastic polymer composition comprises at least 95% by weight, more preferably at least 99% of said one or more semi-crystalline polymers (A), and even more preferably consists of said one or more semi-crystalline polymers (A).

[0019] Preferably, the one or more semi-crystalline polymers (A) contain more than 95 mol% of repeat units derived from ethylene, CTFE and TFE. More preferably, the one or more polymers (A) contain less than 50 mol%, preferably less than 48 mol%, more preferably less than 45 mol% of repeat units derived from ethylene, since this allows the realization of improved properties from the fluoromonomer component.

[0020] Polymers (A) suitable in the present invention are typically (a) 30 to 48 mol %, preferably 35 to 45 mol %, of ethylene (E); (b) 52 to 70 mol %, preferably 55 to 65 mol %, of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) or a mixture thereof; (c) 0 to 5 mol %, preferably 0 to 2.5 mol %, based on the total amount of monomers (a) and (b), of one or more fluorinated and / or hydrogenated comonomers, Preferably, the comonomer is a hydrogenated comonomer selected from the group of (meth)acrylic monomers. More preferably, the hydrogenated comonomer is selected from the group of hydroxyalkyl acrylate comonomers, such as hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, and (hydroxy)ethylhexyl acrylate, and alkyl acrylate comonomers, such as n-butyl acrylate.

[0021] Among the polymers (A), ECTFE copolymers are preferred, ie copolymers of ethylene, CTFE and, optionally, a third monomer (as detailed above).

[0022] The polymers (A) suitable for the composition of the present invention preferably have a melting temperature of 150-230°C, preferably 170-220°C, more preferably 175-215°C. This melting temperature range is associated with a relatively low level of crystallinity of these polymers, which is the result of an excess of one monomer type, typically a fluorine-containing monomer, relative to ethylene monomer in the one or more polymers (A). Indeed, it is known that copolymers of ETFE and ECTFE have a high degree of crystallinity at a molar ratio of 50 / 50, and that the crystallinity and, therefore, the melting temperature decrease rapidly when the level of ethylene is increased or decreased relative to the 50 / 50 ratio.

[0023] The melting temperature is measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) according to ASTM D 3418 at a heating rate of 10° C. / min.

[0024] As mentioned above, the heat of fusion in particular is a good measure of the crystallinity of a polymer. The heat of fusion of polymer (A) is measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at a heating rate of 10° C. / min according to ASTM D 3418.

[0025] The polymer (A) has a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g, preferably at most 30 J / g, more preferably at most 25 J / g.

[0026] However, it is essential that polymer (A) is a semi-crystalline polymer, i.e., a polymer that has a detectable melting temperature as determined according to ASTM D 3418. It is understood that while the lower limit of the heat of fusion is not critical, polymer (A) will usually have a heat of fusion of at least 1 J / g, preferably at least 2 J / g, and more preferably at least 5 J / g.

[0027] For example, ECTFE polymers with a 50 / 50 molar ratio, such as Solvay's Halar® H901, typically have a melt temperature of about 242° C. and require further heating to be effectively processed (e.g., molded or extruded) at typical processing temperatures of about 275° C. In fact, at this processing temperature, a melt flow rate of about 1 g / min (at 2.16 kg) is reached, allowing the material to be processed on conventional equipment.

[0028] On the other hand, an ECTFE copolymer having 54% CTFE and 46% ethylene, produced in the same manner but according to the present invention, has a melting temperature of about 205° C. and reaches a melt flow rate of about 1 g / min (at 2.16 kg) at about 230° C., at which temperature it can be processed into a final product.

[0029] Although this difference in melting and working temperatures is known, the inventors have surprisingly found that the lower melting and working temperatures of the selected polymer (A) according to the invention allow the production of fluid system components of very high purity, which was not possible when using ETFE and ECTFE polymers with a 50 / 50 molar ratio between halogenated ethylene comonomer and ethylene comonomer.

[0030] ECTFE polymers which have been found to give particularly good results are (a) 35 to 47 mol % of ethylene (E); (b) 53 to 65 mol% chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE); It consists essentially of repeating units derived from:

[0031] By "consisting essentially of," it is intended that small amounts of monomeric impurities resulting in end chains, defects, or repeat units different from those set forth above may still be included in the preferred ECTFE in amounts of less than 1 mol % without affecting the properties of the material.

[0032] The polymers (A) defined above can be prepared with very low levels of impurities using conventional techniques, so that they typically have very low levels of metal contaminants and low levels of TOC (total organic carbon). Usually, the polymers (A) selected according to the present invention do not require special precautions in their preparation: polymers (A) produced using conventional raw ingredients and techniques known in the field of ETFE and ECTFE production have a sufficiently low content of TOC and metal impurities to be used in thermoplastic compositions that meet the extraction test requirements of the present invention. It should be noted that some commercial grades of copolymers of this class contain additives such as antioxidants and UV absorbers that can significantly contribute to the extractable levels of impurities. These grades are not recommended for the present invention.

[0033] Thermoplastic polymer compositions for this invention have a TOC content, as measured by the extraction test described herein, of less than 5 ppm, preferably less than 4 ppm, and more preferably less than 3 ppm.

[0034] As mentioned above, the thermoplastic composition in the fluid system component of the present invention preferably comprises at least 95% by weight, more preferably at least 99% by weight of said one or more semicrystalline polymers (A), and even more preferably consists of said one or more semicrystalline polymers (A). In particular, to avoid further sources of contamination that may affect the suitability of the fluid system component of the present invention for ultra-purity applications, the thermoplastic polymer composition is preferably free of additives such as UV filters, antioxidants, surfactants, acid scavengers, metal oxides, and salts. Most preferably, the polymer composition of the present invention is free of non-polymeric components. In this context, "free" is intended to mean that additives and / or non-polymeric components may be present at trace total impurity levels below 10 mg / kg, preferably below 1 mg / kg, more preferably below their detection limits.

[0035] The melt flow rate of the thermoplastic composition of the present invention measured according to the procedure of ASTM 3275-81 at 225°C and 2.16 kg is usually in the range of 0.01 to 75 g / 10 min, preferably in the range of 0.1 to 50 g / 10 min, more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 30 g / 10 min. In a preferred embodiment, the melt flow rate of the thermoplastic polymer composition of the present invention is 1 g / 10 min at 2.16 kg at a temperature of less than 255°C. Since a melt flow rate of 1 g / 10 min at 2.16 kg is typical of a thermoplastic composition that can be processed on conventional equipment, this preferred requirement indicates that the thermoplastic composition of the present invention can be melt processed on conventional equipment at temperatures of less than 255°C.

[0036] Fluid system components according to the invention can be made entirely from the thermoplastic polymer composition of the invention, or parts made from the thermoplastic polymer composition of the invention can be combined with other parts made from different materials, including other plastics, glasses, metals, composites, and mixtures thereof. Among the fluid system components according to the invention, tubes are typically made from plastics, with at least the innermost layer in contact with the fluid therein made from the thermoplastic polymer composition of the invention, while for valves, fittings, pumps, and mixers, parts made from the thermoplastic polymer composition of the invention are often combined with parts made from other materials as described. As mentioned above, fluid system components can leach chemicals of various natures, especially from the surfaces of such components that are in direct contact with the fluid. Although leaching of chemicals from fluid distribution system components is a common problem in several industries, semiconductor manufacturing facilities are very sensitive to contamination issues, especially due to the extreme miniaturization achieved in recent years, since even minimal contamination levels that are considered negligible even in the pharmaceutical industry can adversely affect the final product and increase the amount of off-specification products.

[0037] However, not all of the surfaces of a fluid system component are necessarily "fluid contacting surfaces", i.e., surfaces that will come into contact with fluid during use. For example, when considering a pipe, only the innermost surface of the pipe is a "fluid contacting surface".

[0038] Also, as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, some of the fluid system components of the parts of the present invention can be constructed as multi-layer parts, where the layer forming the fluid contacting surface is preferably made from the thermoplastic composition of the present invention.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, at least the entire surface of a fluid system component that, in use, contacts the fluid (its "fluid contact surface") is fabricated from the thermoplastic composition of the present invention.

[0040] In a more preferred embodiment, the entire plastic portion of the fluid system component is made from the thermoplastic composition of the present invention.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fluid system component of the present invention does not include any other polymer-based material other than the thermoplastic polymer composition of the present invention.

[0042] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for producing a composition comprising: a) preparing a thermoplastic polymer composition, said composition comprising one or more semi-crystalline polymers [polymer (A)], said semi-crystalline polymers comprising repeat units derived from ethylene (E) and at least one of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and having a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g, said thermoplastic polymer composition having a leachable content of less than 50 ppb, preferably less than 10 ppb, for each of Ca, Fe, K, Na, Zn, Ti, Sn, Ce, Cu, Zr, Bi, Si, Al, Sb, when subjected to the extraction test described herein; b) heating said thermoplastic polymer composition to a temperature T comprised between 180° C. and 255° C., thereby melting said thermoplastic composition; c) forming at least a portion of said fluid system component from said molten thermoplastic polymer composition; The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fluid system component, including: Any conventional melt forming method can be used herein, such as, for example, molding, extrusion, 3D printing, molding, etc.

[0043] In a further aspect, the present invention relates to a method of transporting or containing an ultra-high purity fluid, said method comprising contacting said ultra-high purity fluid with one or more fluid system components as described above. As explained above, this method is particularly useful in electronics manufacturing facilities, typically semiconductor manufacturing facilities.

[0044] As shown by the experimental data reported in the experimental section below, the inventors have surprisingly found that fluid system components according to the present invention can have very low levels of leaching metals and TOC and excellent performance in handling ultra-high purity fluids, due to the specific selection of a semi-crystalline copolymer of ethylene and at least one of CTFE or TFE, having a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g.

[0045] Polymers of the same class with higher heats of fusion typically do not survive melt processing and begin to decompose at their melt processing temperatures, with the decomposition products contributing to the leachable organic fraction and thus causing an increase in TOC. Increasing the processing temperature also increases the metal content due to the interaction of the material with the equipment during processing. Although commercial materials in the ECTFE and ETFE copolymers class with heats of fusion above 35 J / g typically contain antioxidants that can prevent degradation at melt processing temperatures, these antioxidant additives significantly increase the level of extractables, making the materials unsuitable for handling ultra-high purity fluids.

[0046] The polymers selected for the present invention surprisingly also have a lower TOC than polymers commonly used for handling ultra-high purity fluids, such as PVDF, although they have comparable metal content.

[0047] As a result, the fluid system component according to the invention can be obtained by melt processing of the above mentioned thermoplastic composition using conventional techniques such as extrusion, 3D printing, etc. at relatively low processing temperatures. The obtained fluid system component exhibits very low levels of extractables in terms of metal ions and TOC, and is therefore suitable for use in transporting and containing ultra-high purity fluids, such as those used in the electronics and semiconductor industries, without causing contamination of these fluids.

[0048] To the extent that the disclosures of any patents, patent applications, and publications incorporated herein by reference conflict with the statements of this application to the extent that a term may be unclear, this statement shall control.

[0049] The present invention will now be described with reference to the following examples, the purpose of which is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0050] standard: Melting Temperature The melting temperature is determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) according to ASTM D 3418 at a heating rate of 10° C. / min.

[0051] Heat of fusion The heat of fusion of the polymer (A) is measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) according to ASTM D 3418 at a heating rate of 10° C. / min.

[0052] Melt Flow Rate The melt flow rate of polymer (A) is measured at the indicated temperature and 2.16 kg according to the procedure of ASTM 3275-81.

[0053] Materials used: Milli-Q water from a Millipore water treatment system.

[0054] Polymer composition 1 (PC1 - according to the invention) 100% ECTFE copolymer with 54 mole % CTFE repeat units and 46% ethylene repeat units. No additives. Mp.205°C Heat of fusion: 23 J / g MFI=0.8~1.2g / 10min (225℃, 2.16kg)

[0055] Polymer Composition 2 (PC2 - Comparative) 100% ECTFE copolymer with 50 mole % CTFE repeat units and 50% ethylene repeat units, with additives: ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, especially available as Aclyn® grade, metal salt + antioxidant selected from phosphoric acid derivatives (ADK-260) Mp=242°C. Heat of fusion: 43 J / g MFI=0.8~1.3g / 10min (275℃, 2.16kg)

[0056] Polymer composition 3 (PC3 - comparison) 100% ECTFE copolymer with 50 mole % CTFE repeat units and 50% ethylene repeat units, with additive: DSTDP distearylthio-di-propionic acid + phosphoric acid derivative antioxidant (ADK-260) Mp=242°C. Heat of fusion: 43 J / g MFI=0.8-1.3g / 10min (275℃, 2.16kg)

[0057] PVDF Solef® 1010S / 0001, a commercial grade polyvinylidene fluoride polymer from Solvay.

[0058] Measurement of leaching by extraction test The thermoplastic polymer composition under test was melted in a twin-screw 27 mm LEISTRITZ extruder with an L / D ratio of 40 and 2The polymer composition is extruded through a circular die of 0.5 mm diameter. The temperature profile of the extruder should be set so that the temperature measured at the extrusion die is about 30°C + / - 5°C higher than the melt temperature of the polymer composition (or the highest melt temperature if more DSC peaks are present). A person skilled in the art will know how to adjust other parameters of the extruder accordingly. The extrusion rate is not critical, but the screw speed and torque should be set to extrude the polymer composition at a rate of about 5 kg / h to 40 kg / h, since the molten composition should not be in the extruder for a very long time to avoid contamination with the extruder material. The extruded strands of about 2 mm (+ / - 0.2 mm) diameter are cooled in a water bath, dried and cut into pellets of about 1 mm length. The resulting pellets are used for the following tests. In an ISO 5-7 clean room, VWR 60 ml Nalgene Narrow Mouth Bottle containers (PP cod. 2006-0002) are washed with Milli-Q water three times for 10 seconds each wash. 20 g of pellets are weighed into each container. The pellets are then washed by adding Milli-Q water until the container is approximately 3 / 4 full, and then the container is shaken by hand for 30 seconds to remove the water. The washing procedure is repeated 5 times. Then, 20 g of Milli-Q water was added and the sample was kept in a closed container in an oven at 85°C for 7 days. The aged water is then sampled and tested for cations and TOC. Metals were measured using ICP-MS and are reported as concentrations in ppb in the aged water. TOC was measured according to ASTM D7573-18a and is reported as ppm TOC concentration in the aged water.

[0059] [Table 1]

[0060] [Table 2]

Claims

1. 1. A fluid system component comprising a thermoplastic polymer composition, comprising: The composition comprises one or more semi-crystalline polymers [polymer (A)], the semi-crystalline polymers comprising repeat units derived from ethylene (E) and at least one of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), and the semi-crystalline polymers have a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g; 1. A fluid system component, wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a leachable of less than 50 ppb for each of Ca, Fe, K, Na, Zn, Ti, Sn, Ce, Cu, Zr, Bi, Si, Al, and Sb when subjected to extraction testing.

2. The fluid system component of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition comprises at least 95% by weight of the one or more semi-crystalline polymers (A).

3. 3. The fluid system component of claim 1 or 2, wherein the one or more semi-crystalline polymers (A) contain more than 95 mol % of repeat units derived from ethylene, CTFE, and TFE.

4. The fluid system component of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more polymers (A) comprise repeat units derived from ethylene in an amount of less than 50 mol %.

5. The one or more polymers (A) are (a) 30 to 48 mol % of ethylene (E); (b) 52 to 70 mol % of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), or a mixture thereof; (c) 0 to 5 mol %, based on the total amount of monomers (a) and (b), of one or more fluorinated and / or hydrogenated comonomers; A fluid system component according to any preceding claim, comprising:

6. 6. The fluid system component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the one or more polymers (A) are selected from copolymers of ethylene, CTFE and, optionally, 0 to 5 mol % of one or more fluorinated and / or hydrogenated comonomers, based on the total amount of ethylene and CTFE monomers.

7. The fluid system component according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the hydrogenated comonomer is selected from the group of (meth)acrylic monomers.

8. Fluid system component according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more polymers (A) have a melting temperature comprised between 150°C and 230°C.

9. The fluid system component of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a melt flow rate of 1 g / 10 min at 2.16 kg at a temperature below 255°C.

10. The fluid system component of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition has a TOC of less than 5 ppm as measured according to an extraction method.

11. The fluid system component of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition is free of UV filters, antioxidants, acid scavengers, metal oxides and salts.

12. The fluid system component of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the fluid system component is selected from a pipe, a valve, a fitting, a pump, a manifold, a regulator, a pressure regulator, a static mixer, a gauge protector, a filter housing, an O-ring, and a wet bench.

13. A fluid system component according to any preceding claim, having a fluid contact surface, at least the entire fluid contact surface being made from the thermoplastic polymer composition.

14. a) providing a thermoplastic polymer composition, said composition comprising one or more semi-crystalline polymers [polymer (A)], said semi-crystalline polymers comprising repeat units derived from ethylene (E) and at least one of chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), and said semi-crystalline polymers having a heat of fusion of less than 35 J / g; said thermoplastic polymer composition having less than 50 ppb leachables for each of Ca, Fe, K, Na, Zn, Ti, Sn, Ce, Cu, Zr, Bi, Si, Al, and Sb when subjected to extraction testing; b) heating said thermoplastic polymer composition to a temperature T comprised between 150° C. and 255° C., thereby melting said thermoplastic polymer composition; c) forming at least a portion of a fluid system component from the molten thermoplastic polymer composition; A method for manufacturing a fluid system component, comprising:

15. A method of transporting or containing an ultra-high purity fluid comprising contacting the ultra-high purity fluid with one or more fluid system components according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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