Chemical, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Ptfe Material

Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon or PTFE) is regarded as king of plastic. It is a kind of high molecular compound, which is polymerized from tetrafluoroethylene. It has excellent chemical stability, corrosion resistance, sealing performance, high lubrication, electrical insulation and good aging resistance performance.

Because of the excellent corrosion and chemical resistance, it has better performance than other plastic materials when it is made into random packing. The most popular PTFE random packings are PTFE raschig ring and PTFE pall ring.

PTFE Pall Ring.

PTFE Raschig Ring.

Chemical properties

• High temperature resistance. Working temperature is up to 260 °C.
• Low temperature resistance. Excellent mechanical toughness. It can maintain 5% elongation even under the -196 °C condition.
• Corrosion resistance.
  • It ca resist to any chemical solvents except for molten alkali metals.
  • Insoluble in all solvents. Slightly solved in to alkane only at 300 °C (0.1 g/100g).
  • No any change of weight and property when it boil in sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and even in aqua regia.
• Non-toxicity. It has physiological ineria, which performs no adverse reaction when it is used as artificial blood vessels and organs implanted in the human body for a long time.
• Weathering resistance.
  • It has best aging resistance performance during all plastic materials.
  • Low radiation resistance and low permeability.
  • The surface and property remain perfect even it is exposed to the atmosphere for long time.
  • Non-flammability. The oxygen limiting index is below 90.
  • Oxidation resistance. Excellent strong oxidizing agent resistance performance.
  • UV rays stability.
• Neutral acidity and alkalinity.

Physical properties

• Density: 2.1–2.3 g/cm³.
• Soft mechanical properties and very low surface energy.

Mechanical properties

• High lubrication. It has lowest friction coefficient in solid materials. Only 1/5 friction coefficient of Polyethylene.
• Non-stick performance. Due to the extremely low intermolecular forces of the fluorine-carbon chain.
• Excellent mechanical performance under the temperature ranges from -196 °C to 260 °C.
• Perfluorocarbon polymers are not brittle at low temperatures.