Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Fluoropolymer with near-zero friction coefficient.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Roy Plunkett discovered PTFE accidentally at DuPont in 1938 when tetrafluoroethylene gas in a cylinder was found polymerized to a waxy solid.
• Its first major use was sealing gaskets and valves handling corrosive uranium hexafluoride in the Manhattan Project.
• With a friction coefficient near 0.05 and near-total chemical inertness, it coats nonstick pans and is stretched into ePTFE Gore-Tex membranes.

Specifications & Metrics

• DENSITY: 2.20 g/cm³
• YIELD STRENGTH: 25 MPa
• HARDNESS: D55 Shore