PTFE, or polytetrafluorethylene, is a material that looks like plastic. It is naturally white and translucent and is similar in hardness to a natural polyethylene.
The main properties of PTFE
(Teflon®, trademark of Dupont de Nemours®):
| Positive properties: - Flexible - Very low coefficient of friction - Resists most chemicals - Good electrical insulation - Good water repellency |
Negative properties: - Low resistance to abrasion - Low PV limit (weight applied to a given surface x velocity) - High coefficient of thermal linear expansion (virgin material) - Poor notched impact resistance - Poor compression set resistance (poor DRC) |
Fillers can be added to enhance PTFE properties. The PTFE is then said to be reinforced. Some of the filled PTFEs most commonly used in various industries include:
- Glass fiber-filled PTFE (5, 15, 25%)
- Carbon fiber-filled PTFE and carbon fiber + graphite-filled PTFE
- 15% Glass fiber and 3% MoS2-filled PTFE
- Bronze and/or bronze + MoS2 or graphite (40%, 55% + 3% MoS2, 60%)-filled PTFE
- Polyimide-filled PTFE
- Ekonol®-filled PTFE
- Graphite-filled PTFE
- Other special fillers
- SIDEFLON® (Click here for technical data sheet.)
Before being processed, natural or virgin PTFE (Teflon®) is a white, fairly fine powder. The powder is extruded or compressed at very high pressure in a mold cavity to obtain a finished part or a semi-finished product, such as a block, plate, tube or a bar. Semi-finished products are then machined to obtain finished parts.
PTFE (Teflon®) is also used as an anti-friction agent in oils and lubricants or as a non-stick coating for cooking pans, pots and utensils.
PTFE’s water repellency means that it is also frequently used in the manufacture of clothing.
Certain grades of filled or unfilled PTFE have applications in the agri-food industry and the medical field.
At its Valenciennes site, PICARD Technologies® produces various grades of unfilled and filled PTFE that meet FDA, 3A Dairy Sanitary and USP class VI requirements.
We can make semi-finished products (rods, tubes, plates and sheets) out of virgin or custom-filled PTFE. We can also machine your parts.
If you need high quality material in PTFE and filled PTFE, please request our technical department.
