Polytetrafluoroethylene (P.T.F.E.)

Polytetrafluoroethylene (P.T.F.E.) is a truly unique material and is still the most widely used of all the fluropolymers. Unfortunately virgin P.T.F.E. exhibits high elastic deformation under load that considerably reduces its value as a bearing surface. This situation is dramatically improved with the use of fillers. Filled grades of P.T.F.E. are often used for more demanding applications, however only virgin material is suitable for direct contact with food. P.T.F.E. can be machined using conventional tools, however close tolerance work may prove difficult to achieve particularly when machining components with thin sections.