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Engineering Plastic

PTFE (Teflon)

PTFE, known as Teflon, is a fluoropolymer with the lowest friction and broadest chemical resistance of any common plastic, a 260 C service rating, and near-universal corrosion resistance. At 2.17 g/cm3 it is dense and soft, with only 25 MPa tensile strength and 300 percent elongation, so it is chosen for sealing and non-stick roles, not structure.

How PTFE (Teflon) machines

PTFE is soft and gummy, so it demands very sharp tools, positive rake, and light cuts to avoid smearing and tearing rather than cutting cleanly. It deflects easily and creeps under clamping, so workholding must be gentle. Expect challenges holding tight tolerances; the material moves, and edges resist a crisp finish.

Manufacturing & processing

PTFE is CNC machined from rod, tube, and molded billet; it cannot be melt-injection molded conventionally and is instead compression-molded and sintered into stock. It does not bond without special etching, so design for mechanical capture. Its cold flow means loaded parts need backup or confinement to limit creep.

Typical applications

PTFE is used for seals, gaskets, valve seats, bearing pads, chemical-resistant liners, non-stick surfaces, and electrical insulation. Its low friction suits slide bearings and wear strips, while its chemical inertness fits aggressive-fluid handling. It is the go-to where nothing else survives the chemistry or sticks to it.

When to choose it

Choose PTFE for chemical resistance, non-stick surfaces, and the lowest dry friction, especially in seals and liners. Avoid it for load-bearing or precision structural parts; it is weak and creeps. Where strength plus chemical resistance is needed, PVDF or PEEK serve better. Use PTFE for its surface, not its structure.

Suitable surface finishes

Common finishes for PTFE (Teflon): bead blasting, powder coating. Use the finish selector →

FAQ

Why is PTFE so hard to machine cleanly?
PTFE is soft, waxy, and gummy, so dull or low-rake tools smear and tear it instead of shearing a clean chip. It also deflects and creeps under cutting and clamping forces. Very sharp tooling, positive rake, light cuts, and gentle workholding are needed to get acceptable surfaces and tolerances.
Does PTFE creep under load?
Yes. PTFE cold-flows, meaning it deforms slowly under sustained load even at room temperature. Loaded seals and pads can extrude or lose preload over time. Designs confine or back up PTFE, or use filled grades with glass or bronze to reduce creep where dimensional stability matters.
Can PTFE be glued or welded?
Not by normal means. Its inert, non-stick surface rejects adhesives unless chemically etched, and it does not solvent-weld. Designs rely on mechanical capture, compression, or clamping. When bonding is unavoidable, sodium-naphthalene etching or special primers are required to achieve any meaningful adhesion.

Property values are typical/nominal for early guidance and vary by temper, grade, supplier and heat treatment. Confirm critical specs against a certified datasheet or with an mfgiq engineer.