Properties of Teflon™ Coatings

Properties of Teflon Coatings

The following characteristics are common to all Teflon™ coatings in varying degrees. The unique combination of properties inherent to all Teflon™ industrial coatings make them a natural choice in a number of industries.

	NON-STICK - Very few solid substances will permanently adhere to a Teflon™ coating. While tacky materials may show some adhesion, almost all substances release easily. Wear due to sliding is very low due to the anti-adhesive properties. For many applications, a significant problem is the buildup of foreign particles, and Teflon™ nonstick coatings’ excellent release qualities help solve these issues.
	LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION – Friction is a force created when two objects rub together that hinders the motion. With a Teflon™ industrial coating, the coefficient of friction is generally lowered to a range of 0.05 to 0.20, depending on the load, sliding speed, and type of coating used. Lubricity is very important in any application that has moving parts touching each other.
	HEAT RESISTANCE - Teflon™ fluoropolymer coatings can operate continuously at temperatures up to 550ºF, and can be used for intermittent service up to 600ºF with adequate ventilation. The thermal stability of the coatings means that they can be used in high heat environments without losing or affecting any other properties.
	CRYOGENIC STABILITY - Many Teflon™ coatings can withstand temperatures as low as -454ºF without loss of physical properties. Their ability to withstand sub-freezing temperatures means that Teflon™ industrial coatings will not lose any of their other characteristics when exposed to such low temperatures.
	CHEMICAL RESISTANCE - Chemical environments usually do not affect a Teflon™ fluoropolymer coating. The only chemicals known to affect these coatings are molten alkali metals and highly reactive fluorinating agents. Permeation resistance due to the low porosity of the coatings means that they are extremely corrosion resistant and are chemically inert.
	NON-WETTING – Teflon™ nonstick coatings are both hydrophobic and oleophobic. The low surface energy of the coatings means that the cohesive forces in the water are strong enough to make the water bead up and not spread across the surface of the coating. Cleanup is easier and more thorough.
	UNIQUE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES - Over a wide range of frequencies, Teflon™ coatings have a high dielectric strength, low dissipation factor, and high surface resistivity. Dielectric strength is the highest voltage that the coating can withstand before it breaks down. The dissipation factor is the percentage of electrical energy absorbed and lost when current is applied to the coating. A low dissipation factor means that the absorbed energy dissipated as heat is low. Adding fillers to certain coatings can make them electro-conductive enough to be used as an anti-static coating.
	ABRASION RESISTANCE - Teflon™ coatings are very resistant to scratches and abrasion due to their excellent durability and toughness. Surface scarring is minimal, especially in certain coatings when fillers are added.
	FDA CONFORMING – Many Teflon™ industrial coatings are approved for food contact by the Food and Drug Administration. These specific Teflon™ coatings can be used for direct food contact according to the regulations of 21CFR. All types of Teflon™ coatings have FDA conforming options. Check a coating’s fact sheet to see if it is FDA compliant.

Property	ASTM Method	Unit	Teflon™ PTFE	Teflon™ FEP	Teflon™ PFA	Teflon™ ETFE
Non-Stick	none	---	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Abrasion Resistance	none	---	Fair	Good	Very Good	Excellent
Chemical Resistance	none	---	Good	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Max Use Temperature		°F °C °F °C	550 290 600 315	400 205 450 230	500 260 550 290	300 150 390 200
Melting Point	D3418	°F °C	621 327	500 260	582 305	512 267
Specific Gravity	D792		2.15	2.15	2.15	1.76
Coefficient of Friction	D1894	Static Dynamic	.12 - .15 .05 - .10	.12 - .20 .08 - .30	.20	.24 - .50
Hardness	D2240	Shore D	50 - 65	56	60	72
Tensile Strength	D638	Mpa	21 - 35	23	25	40 - 47
Elongation	D638	%	300 - 500	325	300	150-300
Flexural Modulus	D790	Mpa	500	600	600	1200
Thermal Conductivity		see note 1	1.7	1.4	1.3	1.65
Dielectric Strength	D149	V/µm	18	53	80	79
Dielectric Constant	D150	1 MHz	2.1	2.1	2.1	2.6
Arc Resistance	D495	sec	>300	>300	>180	122
Volume Resistivity	D257	ohm·cm	>10 ¹⁸	>10 ¹⁸	>10 ¹⁸	>10 ¹⁷
Surface Resistivity	D257	ohm/sq.	>10 ¹⁸	>10 ¹⁶	>10 ¹⁷	>10 ¹⁵
Weather Resistance	Florida Exposure	years unaffected	20	20	10	15
Water Absorption	D570	%	<.01	<.01	<.03	<.03
Contact Angle		water °	104-111	95-105	104-111	90-100

note 1: thermal conductivity units = (BTU)(in) /(ft²)(hr)(deg F)

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Properties of Teflon™ Coatings

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