Snapshot of PTFE (Teflon) Plastic
PTFE (Teflon) plastic Description
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thermoplastic polymer, which is a white solid at room temperature. Teflon is the trademarked brand name for PTFE owned by Chemours, a spin-off company from DuPont.
Advantages of PTFE (Teflon) parts
Very high melting point, extremely low coefficient of friction. It maintains high strength, toughness and self-lubrication at low temperatures. Chemically inert, means most of the solvents and chemicals won't damage Teflon.
PTFE (Teflon) plastic Uses
Due to low friction, PTFE is used for bearings, gears, sliders, gaskets, bushings. PTFE (Teflon) is best known for coating non-stick frying pans and other cookware. PTFE is used in musical instrument, insulation of wiring in aerospace and computer applications.
Finishing examples of PTFE (Teflon) prototypes
PTFE (Teflon) material Spec
| Property | Data |
|---|---|
Density
|
2.10 g/cm3 |
Water Absorption-24 Hours (%)
|
0.007 % |
Tensile Strength (Mpa)
|
25 Mpa |
Tensile Modulus (GPa)
|
0.5 GPa |
Flexural Strength (MPa)
|
19 Mpa |
Vicat Softening Temp (℃)
|
110℃ |
Heat Deflection Temp - 1.8MPa (℃)
|
70℃ |
Coefficient of Friction
|
0.08 |
Note: This Data is indicative only
|
|
Further considerations
PTFE is so slippery that insects cannot get a grip and tend to fall off. PTFE has been successfully used in the manufacture of artificial body parts due to its inert nature which makes it unlikely to be rejected by the body.
Limitations
Because of its chemical inertness, PTFE cannot be cross-linked like an elastomer, therefore it has no memory and is subject to creep. Expensive
