PTFE and Teflon are both brand names for the same inert, nonstick polymer. PTFE is an abbreviation for polytetrafluoroethylene.
The trademark term for PTFE is Teflon. PTFE is unlike any other organic polymer in that it possesses unique and useful features. In this respect, PTFE differs significantly from Teflon.
In this post, we will discuss some of the major points of how or how not PTFE is related to Teflon and what the two exactly are!
The Chemistry
Some of the top characteristics include low surface energy, excellent thermal stability, and strong chemical resistance. C-F bonds inside PTFE are responsible for most of its desirable characteristics.
Stronger and more polarized than C-H bonds, which are found in many other polymers, C-F bonds are particularly important in the field of molecular electronics. With bond energy of 485 kJ/mol, C-F is said to be the strongest among all the single bonds.
PTFE vs. Teflon is another issue that worries customers and even some expert PTFE parts manufacturer when deciding on a polymer for a product. Is there anything else that distinguishes the two?
Continue reading!
What Is A Teflon?
While it’s clear that PTFE is a superior product, it’s important to keep Teflon in mind as we compare it to PTFE. A subsidiary of Chemours, Teflon was originally developed by DuPont Co and launched in 1938. In 1946, Chemours began selling products made using the company’s trademark Teflon, which was a non-stick, heat-resistant material created in 1945.
Chemist Dr. Roy Plunkett accidentally discovered Teflon. While developing a novel refrigerant for DuPont in New Jersey, he found that the TFE gas had flowed out of the bottle he used, yet the bottle did not weigh any less than it did before.
Looking inside the bottle to discover the cause of the weight, he discovered a coating of the same waxy, slick, and abnormally heavy substance that we now know to be Teflon.
Teflon, or polytetrafluoroethylene, is a synthetic rubber made of carbon and fluorine which is often used in ceramic rings. Absolutely, Teflon is just PTFE with a brand name attached to it. Teflon is Chemours’ registered brand name for PTFE, and it has become common parlance to refer to this material by this name, just as we do with Hoover vacuum cleaners and Sellotape adhesive tape.
What Exactly Is PTFE?
PTFE has only two components, carbon and fluorine, making it a very straightforward thermoplastic polymer. A hydrophobic polymer also possesses one of the lowest friction coefficients of any material.
PTFE has a good wear resistance but a low creep resistance; hence it is not a very strong material. It has a low reaction time. This quality is exploited in producing “non-stick” coatings for various pots and pans. It has been used by many top industrial valves manufacturers as a coating for pipelines and containers that hold reactive and corrosive chemicals. This is because of its strong chemical and corrosive resistance qualities.
Because of its high dielectric strength, PTFE finds widespread use in computer components like connector wires, coaxial cables, and more. If you want less friction and longer-lasting parts, try using PTFE as a lubricant.
The melting point of PTFE, a crystalline polymer, is about 327 degrees Celsius. Due to its crystalline structure, PTFE rarely shows a discernible glass transition temperature (Tg). A free radical polymerization technique makes PTFE.
It has high resistance to heat and corrosion, making it difficult to machine. Molding powders are treated with powder metallurgy techniques, including sintering and pressing. Tam extruder methods are also suitable for extruding PTFE. PTFE resins are manufactured using the emulsion polymerization method. Expanded membranes are made with these resins.
How Come We Name PTFE “Teflon”?
So why is every brand of white glue dubbed Elmer’s? If the clear tape comes from Bostik, why do we call it Scotch tape since that brand name is so widely associated with failure?
One could even call it a trademark.
Although most people aren’t familiar with poly-whatsit, they are aware that Teflon prevented them from becoming breakfast this morning. They are aware that Elmer assisted their child in creating an artwork that Scotch then hung on the refrigerator.
Brands understand that establishing a name for their products in consumers’ minds is essential to establishing those products in consumers’ homes. The demand for a curling iron with Polytetrafluoro Ethylene plates is extremely low and will never be met by the supply. A Teflon-coated version, though, is what they’ll specifically want.
The Distinction Between PTFE And Teflon
Due to the fact that they both refer to the same item, the answer is the simplest. The Du Pont company and its affiliates use the brand name Teflon to refer to the chemical compound PTFE.
Similar to how you can buy store-brand cereal without the brand name, how you can buy brand-name drugs or use a ‘natural’ medication that is the same even though the patent has expired, or how Teflon and PTFE can be used interchangeably.
Conclusion
Whether you refer to it as PTFE or Teflon, this material is incredibly adaptable and may be found in many goods and settings. You can’t tell PTFE from Teflon because there is none. Polytetrafluoroethylene is the abbreviated chemical term, while Teflon is the brand name for this polymer.
That simple it is!