Reinforced Polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE
Reinforced Polytetrafluoroethylene (popularly known as Teflon) is used across a range of industries.
It helps form a barrier film that prevents materials from sticking to the
coated fabric. It’s affordable and has stable, durable properties.
About PTFE
Reinforced Polytetrafluoroethylene, abbreviated to PTFE, is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene. It is high density, non-wetting, non-sticking, and resistant to high temperatures which makes it an incredibly versatile material for many industrial applications. It’s a fluorocarbon solid with high molecular weight consisting of fluorine as well as carbon. It’s also hydrophobic, which means water or water-containing substances cannot wet PTFE. PTFE also exhibits excellent dry libricity.
Grades Of PTFE
There are different grades available including porous, anti-static, mineral, and polyimide filled PTFE. Below mentioned are the most common:
Virgin PTFE
This is among the most chemically inert materials used for many applications. Virgin PTFE is essentially PTFE without any fillers. It offers extreme resistance to electrical insulation and thermal stability.
Glass Filled PTFE
Glass fibers are reinforced to produce this grade of PTFE. The fibers improve the material’s wear-resistant properties without changing its electrical and chemical characteristics. The coefficient of friction is increased and for this reason graphite is sometimes added to the composition.
Carbon Filled PTFE
Carbon is usually added by weight between 10% and 35%. A small percentage of graphite is also added to the composition. Carbon significantly helps improve the wear and deformation strength of the material without altering the chemical resistance but just the electrical properties. It provides low permeability, superb thermal conductivity, and excellent compressive strength.
Bronze Filled PTFE
When employed as a filler, bronze is used in the percentage of weight varying between 40% and 60%. This exhibits excellent deformation strengths, greater wear resistance, best thermal conductivity, and exceptional dimensional stability. But the electrical and chemical resistance remains relatively low.
Graphite Filled PTFE
Used between 5% and 15%, graphite allows improving the coefficient of friction properties. It’s chemically inert and has high load-carrying abilities for high-speed contact purposes. Often it is added to other types of PTFE, but it helps enhance strength, wear properties, and deformation under load.
Stainless Steel Filled PTFE
Even though its wear-resistance, compared to fillers such as bronze, is inferior, it’s still very hard, stiff and has exceptional strength, offering greater stability under high temperatures or load. Plus, the coefficient of friction of the traditional PTFE is retained.
Ultimately, filled PTFEs maintain their temperature and chemical characteristics while the fillers help improve stability, wear resistance, and mechanical strength.
Advantages Of Using PTFE
One of the significant advantages of PTFE is its adaptability and unique benefits applicable to the engineering and manufacturing industries in particular. The major advantages of using reinforced PTFE include:
Cost-efficiency
Low friction
Relatively non-reactive
Excellent dielectric properties
High thermal stability
FDA-approved and food safe
No aging or embrittlement
Outstanding corrosion protection
Great chemical resistance
Looking For A Reliable PTFE Manufacturer? You Can Trust Verettec!
If you have questions about any specific grades of PTFE or are unsure if PTFE is the right choice for your business needs, please speak to Verretec specialists.
At Verretec Composite Materials, LLC, we can help you explore the best-suited solution for your project. Call us at (724) 543-2333 or fill in this contact form, and we’ll get back to you with the right PTFE solution.
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