What is PTFE Industrial Coating?

PTFE may seem to be heavily technical and scientific jargon. But in fact, PTFE is rather uncomplicated and simple to understand. And for all you know you may have PTFE coexisting with other essentials in your kitchen. To give you a more detailed introduction, PTFE is world-renowned by its brand name – Teflon. You may have a handful of non-stick pans and pots in your kitchen, and in all likelihood they are Teflon-coated.  PTFE is the abbreviated form of polytetrafluoroethylene. It was discovered by Roy Plunkett, a scientist, in 1938. Within a decade, PTFE became a regular sighting on market shelves around the world under the Teflon brand. Ever since then, Teflon has become a brand synonymous with non-stick kitchen products. As far as PTFE industrial coating is concerned, it is developed by baking and melting fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) which enables it to give a non-porous film on products it is applied to.

To give you more insight into PTFE industrial coating, let’s shed light on some of the industrial properties first. Since its year of inception, PTFE’s dynamism has been tried-and-tested across different sectors. The reason for the heightened interest in PTFE can be attributed to its various properties. PTFE offers excellent resistant to chemicals, it is anti-friction, has a low-grade dissipation factor, is very flexible, has top-notch anti-adhesion properties, can be used in stressful environments as it has high fatigue resistance, absorbs very little water, and is available in different grades to support its usage across different industries. With regards to PTFE industrial coating, PTFE is useful in the two-coat routine which includes a primer and topcoat respectively. The fact that PTFE offers low friction and abrasion, it is possible because as far as fluoropolymer are concerned, PTFE can be at the highest operating temperature; it can withstand up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

It must be mentioned that Teflon’s applications are not limited to kitchenware. PTFE’s usefulness is very prominent in many industries – electronics, aerospace, automobiles, and many others. PTFE is also widely used in the manufacturing of igniters for rocket propellants. PTFE can also be found in the coating of specific types of bullets. Because PTFE is endowed with low-friction characteristics, it creates a protective coat on guns which ensures that they suffer from wear-and-tear when bullets pass from the barrel.  Additionally, PTFE also has tremendous strength and durability. It was used during the Second World War to safeguard the facility where the first atomic bomb was engineered. The building was spread over 2,000,000 square feet and housed huge reserves of uranium hexafluoride. The radioactive chemical is very corrosive, and so a PTFE coating was applied to avoid leakages from the building.

 Let’s explore some of the most prominent PTFE industrial applications where the PTFE industrial coating makes a major difference.

  • PTFE is a popular material in the electrical industry. It is commonly found in insulation products, semiconductor components, and circuit boards (flexible-printed ones). In the engineering domain, PTFE makes its presence felt in non-stick surfaces and bearings. Polytetrafluoroethylene coatings are commonplace on many hardware items including pipes, fittings, pump parts, valves, plugs, seats, etc.

  • The chemical industry uses PTFE in the building and construction of different types of pumps. Moreover, PTFE is a component that is added to the composition of reaction vessels, tanks, containers, impellers, exchangers, and autoclaves.

  • PTFE has a main role in the automobile industry. Its participation is a must for making automotive parts such as power steering, gaskets, o-rings, fuel hoses, valve stem seals, transmission, fuel hose linings, and much more. 

  • Believe it or not, PTFE’s industrial application stretches up to the medical sector. PTFE is used to make cardiovascular grafts, heart patches, ligament replacements, and much more.

  • PTFE has more adventurous industrial applications that you may not be aware of. It is used to make many everyday products. In addition to being a regular in the composition of non-stick kitchen utensils, PTFE is found in items such as popcorn bags, self-cleaning ovens, and pizza boxes!

  • PTFE is a multi-polymer that a key ingredient for products such as fast food containers, carpet solutions, hair straighteners, umbrellas, cosmetics, condiment containers, tents and camping products, etc.

  • Shoes, insoles, and orthotics are products where PTFE is a compulsory addition for it provides safety against callouses and blisters.

  • Plumbing work products such as the sealing tape – used to join kitchen sink pipes – are likely to contain PTFE in varying amounts.

  • PTFE is recommended to keep insects at bay. If you apply a coat of PTFE on a surface it will become slimy. As a result, insects such as bugs cannot climb on it.


With so many varied industrial applications, it just goes to prove that PTFE industrial coating is something that is a prerequisite and is difficult to do without.    


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