PTFE Vs. Teflon: What are The Differences?

PTFE vs. Teflon™: What Are the Differences?

The world of plastics and polymers is full of jargon and acronyms, making it difficult to understand certain things. One of such questions that makes people scratch their heads is the difference between PTFE and Teflon™. Essentially, the only difference is the name. PTFE is the abbreviation of polytetrafluoroethylene, and Teflon™ is the trade name of the same polymer.

What is PTFE? –

To understand the difference between what is PTFE vs. Teflon exactly, we need to take a closer look at PTFE material. Polytetrafluoroethylene is a high-performance fluoropolymer made from two elements – carbon and fluorine. PTFE is a linear polymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and is manufactured by the free radical polymerization process in an aqueous media with the addition polymerization of TFE in a batch process.

PTFE has a wide range of useful properties, making it suitable for many applications. The most common applications of nonstick coating in kitchen cookware, stain resistance in carets and fabrics. It is also extensively used in industries like oil & gas, chemical processing, electrical/electronics, construction, etc.

PTFE Properties:

Below are some of the typical properties of PTFE:

1. High flexibility
2. Excellent anti-adhesion properties
3. Great resistance to heat and low temperature
4. Good fatigue resistance under low stress
5. Excellent chemical resistance
6. Low dissipation factor
7. Acceptable resistance is light, UV, and weathering
8. Low water absorption
9. Decent electrical insulating capabilities in wet environments
10. Low coefficient of friction

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PTFE Applications:

The specialty of Fluorinated thermoplastics is that they can be used in applications related to high heat, chemical inertness, high purity, low temperature, non-sticking, and self-lubricating properties. The applications can be seen in automotive, chemical, medical, industrial, and electrical, and electronics.

It is a high-performance substitute for materials like polyethylene which has applications for low-end electrical components but is not suitable in high-end components, however, PTFF, thanks to its excellent dielectric properties and high melting temperature is ideal for such applications.

Automotive Applications – Shaft seals, value stem seals, fuel hose linings, O-rings, gaskets, power steering ad transmission, etc.

Chemical Industry – Diaphragms, impellers, tanks, pumps, coating for heat exchangers, reaction vessels, autoclaves, containers, etc.

Medical Industry – Ligamnet replacements, heart patches, cardiovascular grafts, etc.

Industrial Applications – Bearings, non-stick surfaces, gears, slide plates, valves, and pumps, fittings, seats & plugs, etc.

Electrical & Electronics Applications – semi-conductor parts, electrical insulation, flexible printed circuit boards, hook-up wires, coaxial cables.

What is Teflon™?

As said earlier, it is a trademarked version of Polytetrafluoroethylene. Teflon™ is discovered in 1938 by scientist Dr. Roy Plunkett when he was working on developing a new refrigerant. Later it was developed by Dupont Co. and administrated by Chemours in 1945, and begin selling products made from it in 1946.

The discovery of Teflon was an accident. Der. Rot Plunkett was trying to invent a new refrigerant when he noticed that TFE gs has flowed out of the bottle he was using, but there was no change in the bottles’ weight. To find the reason for that happening, he looked into it and found out that the bottle’s interior was coated with a waxy and stiffy material that is now known as Teflon.

What’s the Difference Between Teflon™ and PTFE?

Simply put, there is no difference between them. So, the winner of PTFE vs. Teflon™ is nothing. There is no reason to compare both; they’re both, in fact, the same thing. Regardless of that fact, we need to cheer the existence of such an incredibly versatile plastic material.

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