What is PTFE?
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon, is regarded as the "king of plastics." It is a synthetic polymer material discovered by DuPont in 1938. PTFE was first produced and sold under the trademark Teflon by DuPont. Today, the Teflon brand is primarily produced by Chemours, a company spun off from DuPont.
PTFE is renowned for its exceptional resistance to acids and bases, high-temperature tolerance, and extremely low friction coefficient. These properties make it an ideal non-stick and easy-clean coating material. Teflon is used for coating non-stick cookware and the inner layers of pipes. It also serves as an electrical insulator for wires and cables, a material for artificial blood vessels and heart valves, and a sealing and insulation material for aircraft and spacecraft.
Chemical and Physical Properties
Structure and Acid-Alkali Resistance
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic polymer material where all hydrogen atoms in polyethylene are replaced by fluorine atoms. This structure imparts excellent chemical resistance, allowing PTFE to withstand all strong acids (including fluoroantimonic acid and aqua regia), strong bases, strong oxidizers, reducers, and various organic solvents, except for molten alkali metals, fluorinated media, and molten strong bases.
Mechanical and Thermal Properties
PTFE's unique structure, with all hydrogen atoms replaced by fluorine atoms, grants it superior chemical corrosion resistance. It can endure all strong acids (including fluoroantimonic acid and aqua regia), strong bases, strong oxidizers, reducers, and a variety of organic solvents, except for molten alkali metals, fluorinated media, and molten strong bases. This makes PTFE highly valuable for applications requiring robust chemical and thermal stability.
- Corrosion Resistance: PTFE withstands all strong acids (including aqua regia and fluorantimonic acid), strong bases, strong oxidizers, reducers, and various organic solvents, except for molten alkali metals, fluorinating agents, and some extremely strong bases.
- Insulation: Its electrical properties are unaffected by the environment and frequency, with a resistivity of up to 10^18 ohm·cm, low dielectric loss, and high breakdown voltage.
- Temperature Resistance: PTFE remains stable across a wide temperature range, from -190°C to 260°C, showing minimal effects from temperature changes.
- Self-Lubrication: With the lowest friction coefficient among plastics, PTFE serves as an ideal material for oil-free lubrication.
- Non-Stick Surface: No known solid material can adhere to PTFE, making it the solid material with the lowest surface energy.
- Weather Resistance: PTFE exhibits excellent resistance to atmospheric aging, radiation, and has low permeability, maintaining its surface and properties even after prolonged exposure to the elements.
Chemical Resistance Chart
How to use the chart
» Meaning of symbol:
OK: Recommended.
△: Must confirm if usable by testing in advanced.
X: Not recommended.
» This chart only provides the result of a single chemical to material, if a client uses more than one kind of chemical at the same time, please choose material by experience.
» This chart is for reference only which is not applicable to all working environments. Please refer to design equipment according to practical experience.
| Category |
Name |
PTFE
Chemical resistance |
| Organic acid |
Acetic acid |
OK |
| Acetic acid, glacial |
OK |
| Acetic anhydride |
OK |
| Citric acid |
OK |
| Organic compound |
Acetaldehyde |
OK |
| Acetone |
OK |
| Methyl alcohol |
OK |
| Aniline |
OK |
| Benzaldehyde |
OK |
| Benzene |
OK (22˚C) |
| Benzyl alcohol |
OK |
| Benzyl chloride |
OK |
| Corn oil |
OK |
| Ethanol |
OK |
| Ethylene glycol |
OK |
| Fatty acid |
OK |
| Formaldehyde |
OK |
| Formic acid |
OK |
| Hexane |
OK |
| Lactic acid |
OK |
| Methanol |
OK |
| Paraffin oil |
OK |
| Petroleum |
OK (48˚C) |
| Phenol |
OK |
| Propane, liq |
OK |
| Propanol |
N/A |
| Stearic acid |
OK |
| Tannic acid |
OK |
| Tartaric acid |
OK |
| Toluene |
OK |
| Urea |
OK |
| Inorganic compounds |
Ammonia |
OK |
| Ammonium chloride |
OK |
| Ammonium hydroxide |
OK |
| Ammonium nitrate |
OK |
| Ammonium sulfate |
OK |
| Aqua regia |
OK (80% HCl, 20% HNO3) |
| Barium chloride |
OK |
| Barium hydroxide |
OK |
| Brine |
OK (48˚C) |
| Calcium Chloride |
OK |
| Calcium hydroxide |
OK |
| Carbonic acid |
OK |
| Chloric acid |
OK |
| Chlorine |
OK |
| Detergent |
OK |
| Hydrobromic acid |
OK (100%) |
| Hydrochloric acid |
OK |
| Hydrofluoric acid |
OK |
| Hydrogen peroxide |
OK |
| Nitric acid |
OK |
| Phosphoric acid |
OK |
| Potassium hydroxide |
OK |
| Potassium nitrate |
OK |
| Potassium sulfate |
OK |
| Sodium carbonate |
OK |
| Sodium hydroxide |
OK (20%, 50%) |
| Sodium nitrate |
OK |
| Sulfuric acid |
OK |
| Sulfur dioxide |
OK |