Something about UHMW you may want to know

UHMW-PE stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. It is the highest quality polyethylene (PE) available, engineered for tough jobs and a wide range of applications. It delivers savings in a number of difficult applications. Ultra High Molecular Weight is the secret of this polymer’s unique properties. Its high-density polyethylene resin has a molecular weight range of 3 to 6 million, compared to 300,000 to 500,000 for high molecular weight (HMW) resins. That difference is what ensures that this material is strong enough to withstand abrasion and impact better than lower level poly products. UHMW-PE’s high molecular weight means it will not melt or flow as a molten liquid. Processing methods are therefore derived from those of powder metal technology. UHMW-PE cannot be transformed and molded by conventional plastic processing techniques (injection molding, blow molding or thermoforming). Compression molding is the most common conversion process used with this resin because it produces a stronger, more consistent product.

UHMW is known for its high abrasion resistance, natural lubrication, high impact strength, chemical-, corrosion-, and moisture-resistance and acoustic impedance.

Due to its abrasion-, corrosion-, chemical- and moisture-resistant properties, UHMW is commonly used in applications where conditions may be too harsh for other materials. It is a cost-effective high performance polymer used to produce low cost, high quality parts.

UHMW is a self-lubricating material which exhibits excellent wear and abrasion properties as well as adding extremely high impact strength. A few of the markets which would utilize these attributes would be snowboard bottoms, package handling, packaging, food processing and automotive.

The high molecular weight is what gives UHMW-PE a unique combination of high impact strength efficient of friction and abrasion resistance that outwears carbon steel 10 to 1 making it more suitable for applications where lower molecular weight grades fail.

There are three tests you can perform:

1. Burn Test – light it with a match and smell the smoke. If it smells like candle wax – that indicates polyethylene. UHMW does not drip as readily as HDPE but it will drip.
2. Oven Test – place it in an aluminum dish in a 300 degree oven. Regular HDPE will slump or melt but UHMW will not change size or shape. However, it could warp or distort due to built in stresses.
3. Saw Test – When cut with a saw, regular HDPE gives sawdust or filings while UHMW gives strings or nothing.

Properties of PTFE

PTFE is ideal for performance due to unique properties. The molecular structure of PTFE is depicted in Fig. . The properties of PTFE widely spread in all the branches and being used for a variety of applications. Various properties of PTFE are represented in Fig. Reports on various properties of PTFE have been discussed in this topic.

Physical properties of PTFE

 Barrier properties

PTFE demonstrated superior hydrophobic nature due to the low surface energy. Wrinkled superhydrophobic surfaces, fabricated from two forms of PTFE exhibit the durable and excellent barrier properties as the roll-off angle of the surfaces tend to be very low. The contact angle for single-scale wrinkled PTFE and hierarchical wrinkled PTFE surface was measured at 163° and 172° that has been possessing higher magnitude. Surface modification of PTFE from hydrophobic to hydrophilic property was optimized by the addition of chemical agents amino (-NH₂), carboxyl (-COOH) and sulfonic acid (-SO₃H). On microfiltration analysis, membranes of PTFE adhered with hydrophilic agent’s shows good microfiltration property. The property of plasma modified PTFE is more effective in high-performance direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). PTFE has been treated with a plasma to obtain pore on the surfaces. Surface morphology study reveals the appearance of parallel pore layers during plasma treatment. Plasma treatment deploys contact angle as a function of treatment time. The bipolar Argon plasma treatment of PTFE also supports the same as with plasma treatment there is an increase in surface free energy. Even though the low surface energy property of virgin PTFE is useful but somehow it is difficult to blend or grind with other polymers. In such a case, the modification of surface is achieved using high-energy irradiation which is in connection with degradation process. Further examination revealed that under irradiation, the PTFE compound has low molecular weight and lower hydrophobicity.

A work on extended PTFE tape demonstrated the increase in water contact angle in a feasible manner. PTFE was stretched using a mechanical device for different ratio of extension. It was portrayed that the increasing extension ratio significantly increases the water contact angle of the surface. The water-repellent property of the surface was mainly due to the decrease in the density of PTFE tape under stretching. More precisely the reason for higher contact angle was the alignment of PTFE microforms on the tape.

The composition of inorganic fullerene-like tungsten disulfide (IF-WS₂) nanoparticles and PTFE improved the hydrophobic property. The drastic change in surface roughness of IF-WS₂/PTFE was revealed by atomic force microscope (AFM) images. Such key factor was the reason for the increase in hydrophobicity. The different contact angles reported for PTFE and PTFE composites are graphically shown in Fig.

Tribological property of PTFE surface

Surface friction of PTFE

Extensive studies have been done on the friction property of PTFE because of interesting low friction coefficient. Friction occurs due to the relative motion of the surface. A virgin PTFE reveals the ultimate friction resistance property therefore optimized for different types of lubrication. As a function of glass fiber, carbon, and graphite loading, there has been a strong influence over friction properties. A wear mechanism was reported for metal precursor-based PTFE composites. Nano-sized PTFE particles were filled in nickel (Ni) and phosphorous (P) coatings. The work revealed the considerable change in friction coefficient (μ) of Ni-P/PTFE coatings when subjected to wear test. Comparatively, Ni-P/PTFE coating exhibited low wear resistance than Ni-P coating because of the presence of PTFE particles.

Surface wear of PTFE

Wear is the most important property of PTFE among surface properties. In general, wear is also associated with mechanical properties, the parameters of wear include weight load, velocity, temperature, contact area, and sliding distance. A familiar method known as Pin-on-Disc setup was used to analyze the wear behavior. This test showed that the friction coefficient for virgin PTFE decreased with the increase in loading of carbon and bronze, increased the wear resistance whereas the friction coefficient was affected slightly. PTFE with filler loadings was effectively have good wear resistance when bearing the weight load over the surface.

Surface lubrication of PTFE

The performance of PTFE as self-lubricant bearings was well known and often examined for its excellent sliding behavior. The mitigation of London dispersive forces in PTFE is due to the highly electronegative fluorine atoms. Furthermore, this property of PTFE was thoroughly examined to improve for high efficiency. In PTFE compound, the fluorine atoms are very close, forming a smooth and cylindrical surface so as the other molecules sliding over easily. In tribological view, PTFE is the topmost material preferred among all.

Abrasion property of PTFE

Abrasion property of PTFE interlinked with wear rate and friction coefficient. Pure PTFE compound are good in abrasion resistance but fixing it on the surface is the challenging task. Glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) filled PTFE were tested for the abrasion resistance capacity. The abrasiveness and surface morphology of the worn surfaces of GF/PTFE and CF/PTFE was studied using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The wear volume was certainly lost in GF/PTFE than CF/PTFE. Under various weight loads, CF/PTFE poses better abrasion resistance because of the adhesion of carbon fibers with the PTFE matrix. Although PTFE possesses lower friction property than any other polymer, the addition of filler makes it suitable for interfacing with good friction resistance.

Mechanical properties of PTFE

Tensile, hardness, stress, and strain tests on PTFE

The mechanical property of PTFE deals with the study of tensile strength, stress and strain, ductility, hardness, and molding ability. PTFE is ductile in nature and obviously remains low in mechanical phase when compared to other polymers but PTFE has a good advantage in constructing mechanical device parts by loading filler components. Compression test on two grades of PTFE exhibited good mechanistic performance. Significantly the mechanical properties are affected by temperature hence the samples of PTFE were also tested with the load of 50% at a temperature varying from − 198 to 200 °C. During deformation, PTFE undergoes a structural change of approximately 30% in comparison with metals which are less than 10%. The rearrangement of molecules due to strain is temporary because of the viscoelastic nature of polymers and permanent damage when it reaches the physical aging.

Generally, the unfilled PTFE exhibits very poor flexural properties. An improvement over mechanical property has been studied in detail for the composite material Polyamide6 (PA6)/PTFE. Flexural and tensile properties test were conducted for different PA6 content. The samples were analyzed by keeping constant load for five specimens of different magnitudes and the morphology was observed using SEM. Under stress, the deformation of PTFE occurs and improves the flexural toughness due to the absorption of energy. Results showed that the 30% PA6-reinforced PTFE composites have a significant improvement in mechanical performance. The improved tensile strength of PTFE composites is depicted in Fig.

Improvement of mechanical property as a function of temperature

PTFE filled with expanded graphite nanoparticles (nano-EG) with reinforcement of nano-aluminum oxide_, nano-copper, nano-silicon dioxide were studied to explore its mechanical properties. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) method was used to analyze the mechanical property. It is noteworthy that the composites reinforced with nano-materials have a remarkable improvement in strength and hardness in comparison with the pure PTFE. DMTA provided good results under testing of the composites and different types of reinforcement showed different distinct mechanical properties. Notably, the composite added with nano-Al₂O₃ showed higher tensile strength and the composite added with nano-SiO₂ showed high elastic modulus. Dynamic mechanical testing proved that the increase of hardness in PTFE/Nano-EG composites with an increase in stress relaxation time and limit.

Creep resistance properties of PTFE

Creep test is important for engineering polymers. Lower creep rate increases the ability of the material to withstand under harsh physical conditions. PTFE exhibits high creep and causes hindrance to utilize in applications. The improvement in creep properties of PTFE with the addition of micro and nanoscale fillers are an important case of study. Directional PTFE/nano-SiO₂ thin films were tested for the improved creep property. Epoxy based nano-SiO₂ mixed with powder PTFE before it is executed for sintering process. The addition of SiO₂nanoparticles increases the crystalline form of PTFE. Thermal mechanical analyzer (TMA) was used to analyze the mechanical properties of the composite. The tensile properties of PTFE and PTFE composites (nano-SiO₂) were measured and it shows the difference in modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break at a different weight percent (wt.%) of PTFE/Nano-SiO₂. The results clearly indicate that the addition of nano-SiO₂ considerably improves the tensile strength and hardness and in particular, it reduces the creep strain and creeps rate. The reinforcement of short carbon fibers and short glass fibers significantly improved the tensile strength of 18 wt.% and 20 wt.% of the filler ratio to the PTFE which was reported by the authors.

Chemical properties of PTFE

The peculiar property of PTFE is chemical inertness. Naturally, PTFE is non-reactive and insoluble due to the strongly bonded carbon-fluorine atom. The high molecular weight is responsible for chemical inert behavior. PTFE is not affected by common reagents such as hydrofluoric, hydrochloric, and chlorosulfonic acids. Even above the transition temperature (327 °C), PTFE is insoluble in organic solvents like hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, or ester and phenol. This is due to the very fewer interaction forces between fluorocarbon and other molecules.

Solubility of PTFE

A detailed and comparative examination has been made on the solubility of PTFE under thermodynamic observations. The solvents chosen are oligomers, non-oligomeric perfluorocarbons, aromatic perfluorocarbons, and non-perfluorocarbons. The report was consolidated the different types of thermodynamic solubility influence on PTFE. The solubility of PTFE involves various factors such as temperature, pressure, solvent polarity and swelling in solvents.

There are many practical issues of PTFE in terms of solubility. Several methods were employed to understand the solubility of PTFE with commercial solvents such as perfluorocarbon and other halogenated fluids. Autogenous and superautogenous methods were involved in the solubility of PTFE under applied pressure. The report suggested that the entropy effects cause insolubility due to the less intermolecular forces. The molecular weight of the solvent can influence the solubility with the increase of lower critical solution temperature.

2.4 Thermal properties of PTFE

The performance in terms of thermal conductivity of PTFE over a wide range of temperature is excellent than other polymers. The thermal stability is due to the linear high crystalline arrangement of carbon-fluorine atoms that shows a high melting point of about 342 °C. For the measurement of crystallinity, different techniques can be preferred such as X-ray diffraction, density and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was used to prepare the material from the melt with different crystallinity as a function of temperature. The sample was further tested with reference to one another. The thermal conductivity was measured using Lee’s disk apparatus clearly indicates the improvement in heat transport of aluminum flakes included PTFE. The increase in thermal conductivity at 232 °C was noted for different levels of crystallinity. A detailed study on the thermal behavior was carried out by incorporating ceramics (Sr₂ZnSi₂O₇) as a filler with PTFE. This work explains that how the filler fraction is responsible for the increase in thermal conductivity of the composites. It was measured that the thermal conductivity of Sr₂ZnSi₂O₇ is 16.5 W/mK which is large when compared with PTFE (0.283 W/mK). The increase in thermal conductivity depends upon the filler material’s shape, size, and thermal properties. The fillers generally provide the heat transfer path which was the reason for the increase in thermal conductivity.

2.4.1 Thermal transport property of PTFE composites

Thermal transport property of Al/PTFE nanocomposite with graphene and CNT were reported. Graphene and CNT are widely involving in numerous applications and significantly influence the material behavior which is added along with them. By introducing graphene into Al/PTFE, increasing thermal conductivity was observed. Al acts as a mediator for heat transportation throughout the composite. Thermal diffusivity analysis of Al/PTFE portrayed about how quickly the material responds to the heated environment. The addition of graphene in Al/PTFE increases thermal diffusivity in contrast to the addition of nano carbon (C) allotrope and CNT. The amorphous nature of nano C and CNT is due to the random arrangement of sp² and sp³carbons which results in low thermo-physical property.

2.5 Electrical properties of PTFE

2.5.1 Dielectric property of PTFE

PTFE would play a role of a dielectric medium or insulating medium in an electronic component was consumed potentially because of distinct electric properties. The dielectric constant (ɛ_r) and the dissipation factor (tanδ) are very important for a material operating as a dielectric medium in the charge storing devices. Recently, many works were explored the dielectric properties of PTFE-based composites. Depending upon the filler property, the ɛ_r and tanδ varied and demonstrated in many reports. The improved ɛ_r and tanδ for various PTFE-based composites are shown in Fig. . It shows the PTFE composites tested under different frequency ranges and their respective ɛ_r and tanδ values. It is obvious that depending upon the frequency, the polarization mechanism varies for different types of composites. For PTFE filled with SiO₂ (silicon dioxide), the values of ɛ_r and tanδ increased at 5GHZ of frequency when compared to Virgin-PTFE. The large surface area of the SiO₂ and their moisture absorbance and contaminants were taken into account for explaining the function of ɛ_r and tanδ. PTFE/AlN (aluminum nitrate) showing improved ɛ_r and tanδ as a function of filler loading. The values were obtained in the low frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz which was suggested for electronic packaging. PTFE/TeO₂ showed excellent ɛ_r and tanδ stability tested under 1 MHz and 7 GHz of the frequency range. The increase in tanδ was observed due to the interfacial polarization of the ceramic TeO₂ particles at higher volume fraction in the PTFE matrix. The experimental results showed the improved dielectric constant of MgTiO₃ceramic filled PTFE. The results were good in agreement with the Maxwell-Garnett theoretical model which considers the occupation of ceramic particles in the host polymer system. The calcium copper titanate incorporated PTFE and its dielectric property was studied. The ɛ_rhere reported at low frequency (100 Hz) and attributed to interfacial polarization mechanism. The size of the particle present in the composites obviously changing the value of ɛ_r and tanδ which were demonstrated. Over different frequency ranges, PTFE is stable and possess low dielectric constant ɛ_r ∼ 2.1 and low loss tangent because of the neutralization of dipole moment exhibited by C-F bonds. A work was reported on the moisture absorbance of PTFE/Micron-rutile and PTFE/Nano-rutile composites. The moisture absorbing phenomena is important here because the water molecules are polar in nature having high ɛ_r ∼ 70 which can significantly affect the dielectric nature of the PTFE composition. It is to understand from the above notes that the filler compositions, the size of the particles, frequency, and property of the host polymer system are the important parameters for the dielectric properties.

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 Optical and spectral properties of PTFE

The inherent optical and spectral properties of PTFE greatly help in the instrumentation of efficient optical devices. The light reflectance and diffusion parameters of PTFE are extremely high; hence, the material has been inevitable in optical instrumentation. Reflectance factor is the measurement of the surface’s ability to reflect light which is equal to the ratio of reflected flux to the incident flux. PTFE exhibits good optical characteristics from a broad ultra-violet to near infra-red spectrum and good in performance when exposed to light or any other electromagnetic radiation. The reflectance angle measurements were studied using reflectometer which was used to measure the bidirectional reflectance of the PTFE pallet. The applications of PTFE as a light diffuser in radiometry were very attractive. The Lambertian surfaces (an ideal surface having high diffusive reflectance) are constructed with PTFE. Previous works considering that low density PTFE functions as a Lambertian diffuser. Measurement of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), directional hemispherical reflectance (DHR) and directional hemispherical reflectance (DHT) were taken for two samples namely high density PTFE (HD PTFE) and low density PTFE (LD PTFE). To cover the entire wavelength of the spectrum, the aforesaid measurements were carefully done with the help of Fourier transform infrared Raman spectroscopy (FTIR) and LAMBDA 950 spectrophotometer. The results shown were in favor of LD PTFE because of the order of magnitude for DHR is less than HD PTFE.

The reflectance factor of PTFE is extreme to sustain at high intense electromagnetic radiation. For all optics-based instrumentation works, PTFE was suggested as a white light diffuser. A work was conducted to study the reflectance factor of pressed PTFE powder with a standard reflectance factor scale ratio (45°/0°). The sample was pressed and examined with 45°/0° reflectometer for wavelength varying from 380 to 770 nm. Analysis of samples was done by taking two variabilities: one is an operator (samples collected from 10 different laboratories) and another one is the material (various composition of PTFE). Final result evolved with the expanded uncertainty of 45°/0° reflectance factor due to material and operator variability.

Amorphous PTFE commercially known as Teflon®AF is having a glass-like transparency and possess good optical properties and highly preferred in optical devices. Teflon® AF is a copolymer of PDD and TFE. A detailed study was conducted to calculate the refractive index, extinction coefficient (k), the absorption coefficient (α) and optical absorbance (A) of three different grades of Teflon®AF. The purpose of this work was to compare all the three grades for their respective optical properties. The samples were analyzed using spectroscopic ellipsometer. Further results revealed that the optical characteristics varied for three different grades of Teflon®AF with respect to the TFE content.

some of the most important uses of ptfe

As noted, Teflon is the trade name for a plastic material called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which was discovered by researchers working for the DuPont chemical company in 1938. At that time, chemist Roy Plunkett was working on the way to decrease the flammability of refrigerants that were commonly used in the 1930's. By sheer accident, Plunkett stumbled upon a chemical reaction known as polymerization, from which the result was a plastic-type material similar to Nylon, but with different qualities.

The significance behind PTFE is that it has many desirable qualities that are not found in most chemicals. For instance, Teflon is extremely stable, as it does not react with easily with other substances or solvents; this means that it's safe to handle and work with, even in the most demanding of conditions. In addition to its non-reactive nature, Teflon is resistant to electrical current, and it has properties that make it slick, but not oily

There are thousands of uses for Teflon, and some are relatively unexpected. In fact, one of the first major applications to use the advancements brought on by the development of  PTFE was the Atomic Bomb. PTFE’s high resistance to corrosion allowed scientist to use it as a barrier in the gaskets that held the uranium within the bomb.

The main application of PTFE is in the cooking industry. The slippery surface that is created with PTFE is used on the face of high-quality pots, pans, and utensils to prevent food from sticking to the pan during the heating process. Another prominent application for PTFE is in the manufacturing of windshield wipers, where the smooth surface created by the polytetrafluoroethylene allows the rubber fins of the wiper blades to glide easily across the windshield.

Of course, there are also multiple areas where PTFE is used in commercial and industrial settings. The steel industry, in particular, utilizes PTFE to act as an agent against corrosion.

During the steel forging process, caustic chemicals need to be pumped through industrial hoses and without the Teflon lining inside these hoses, the chemicals would dissolve the rubber hose immediately. Over time, even the Teflon will begin to wear through, but it withstands that caustic nature of the chemicals for far longer than any other alternative.

Building with ETFE architecture

Tensile structures have been used for millennia. When indigenous peoples required shelter that was lightweight and structurally sound, fabrics made from animal hides and easily transportable elements were the most viable solution. At the Roman Colosseum, a retractable Velarium provided shading for a more comfortable spectator experience. Now, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is offering new opportunities.

A relatively new product within the industry, ETFE is a fluorine-based plastic that remains strong across a wide range of temperatures and is highly resistive to corrosion. It was developed from polytetrafluoro-ethylene (PTFE)—also known as Teflon—a strong, lightweight, fire-retardant fabric membrane that was originally formulated for space exploration apparel, but later used for architectural applications and transparent envelopes.

What is ETFE?
While glass structures provide comparable sunlight transmission and insulation, ETFE is highly durable, more transparent, and significantly lighter—it is approximately one percent the weight of glass. Initially used in agricultural applications, ETFE has since been used on high-profile projects such as the Eden Project botanical attraction (Cornwall, England), the Allianz Arena (home to soccer’s FC Bayern Munich), and the Beijing National Aquatics Center—the famous Water Cube featured at the 2008 Summer Games. ETFE film is now considered a premium material for transparent cladding applications ranging from roofing to façade construction to traditional skylight applications to long-span structures.

Few building materials can match ETFE for its design flexibility and performance value. For China’s Nantong Park Bon-Garden Greenhouse, the material’s thermal performance and light transmission properties support thriving horticulture while still achieving a unique illuminated dome design. At Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway in New York, a porte-cochere with a 1020-m² (11,000-sf) pneumatic ETFE film roofing system showcases the material’s ability to meet the unique aesthetic and practical needs—providing not only an eye-catching design element, but also shelter and shade for occupants with high expectations for comfort.

ETFE is also one of the most lightweight and transparent cladding materials available. Due to its low coefficient of friction, neither dust nor dirt sticks to it. As it is ultraviolet (UV) transparent, it neither discolors nor structurally weakens over time. A highly sustainable product, the manufacturing byproducts of ETFE can be remolded into new ETFE products such as tubing components, wires, or castings.

At Nanton Park Bon-Gardens Greenhouse in China, a roofing assembly that includes ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) film’s performance values contribute to thriving horticulture and an iconic aesthetic.

Performance characteristics
ETFE film brings in numerous benefits for occupants and the building owner. The film can be between 90 and 95 percent transparent, allowing for UV transmission and photosynthesis for agricultural applications. The solar performance ranges of ETFE film systems are also flexible, as they can incorporate multiple frit patterns on one or multiple layers.

Standard or custom printed patterns and a range of colors can be applied during the extrusion process to provide design continuity with the rest of the structure and contribute toward solar control properties. ETFE films are also extremely elastic. Up to 600 percent at breaking point, they are still structurally resistant. The tensile strength at the limit of elasticity/plasticity is 21 to 23 N/mm² (3045 to 3335 lbf/si), but tensile strength to breaking point is 52 N/mm² (7542 lbf/si). For the structural calculation, a limit of 15 N/mm²(2175 lbf/si) is considered a conservatively realistic estimate.

ETFE does not degrade under exposure to environmental pollution, UV light, harsh chemicals, or extreme temperatures, making it an exceptionally long-lasting material. ETFE film also has about 70 percent acoustic transmission, making it ideal for projects expecting loud noises. During design development, sound transmission should be considered, as it will indeed transmit sound beyond the ETFE system and to nearby adjacent properties.

From the extruding of the film to transportation to the site, ETFE is sustainable and energy-efficient. Compared to other cladding materials, the design-build process leaves a small carbon footprint. ETFE systems comprise materials with low embodied energy that are demountable and recyclable. The low softening temperature of ETFE film makes the process of recycling the film efficient and economical. ETFE also enhances insulation and daylighting, contributing to the building’s global energy efficiency. It is also exceptionally lightweight compared to competing materials, allowing substructure support systems and concrete foundations to be designed more efficiently and cost-effectively, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint.

What is Teflon What are some of the most important uses

There have been few inventions that have made an impact on the world like that of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is more well-known ithe cooking industry by its trademark commercial name - Teflon.

What is it?

As noted, Teflon is the trade name for a plastic material called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which was discovered by researchers working for the DuPont chemical company in 1938. At that time, chemist Roy Plunkett was working on the way to decrease the flammability of refrigerants that were commonly used in the 1930's. By sheer accident, Plunkett stumbled upon a chemical reaction known as polymerization, from which the result was a plastic-type material similar to Nylon, but with different qualities.

The significance behind Teflon is that it has many desirable qualities that are not found in most chemicals. For instance, Teflon is extremely stable, as it does not react with easily with other substances or solvents; this means that it's safe to handle and work with, even in the most demanding of conditions. In addition to its non-reactive nature, Teflon is resistant to electrical current, and it has properties that make it slick, but not oily.

What is it Used For?

There are thousands of uses for Teflon, and some are relatively unexpected. In fact, one of the first major applications to use the advancements brought on by the development of  Teflon was the Atomic Bomb. Teflon’s high resistance to corrosion allowed scientist to use it as a barrier in the gaskets that held the uranium within the bomb.

The main application of Teflon is in the cooking industry. The slippery surface that is created with Teflon is used on the face of high-quality pots, pans, and utensils to prevent food from sticking to the pan during the heating process. Another prominent application for Teflon is in the manufacturing of windshield wipers, where the smooth surface created by the polytetrafluoroethylene allows the rubber fins of the wiper blades to glide easily across the windshield.

Of course, there are also multiple areas where Teflon is used in commercial and industrial settings. The steel industry, in particular, utilizes Teflon to act as an agent against corrosion.

During the steel forging process, caustic chemicals need to be pumped through industrial hoses and without the Teflon lining inside these hoses, the chemicals would dissolve the rubber hose immediately. Over time, even the Teflon will begin to wear through, but it withstands that caustic nature of the chemicals for far longer than any other alternative.

SO

There is no doubt that the world would be a different place without the invention on Teflon, even though its usage often goes unrecognized. If it were not for Teflon, large manufacturers, like those in the steel industry would continually need to replace the hoses that help run the machinery. Also, household items such as cookware and nail polish would not function at the same level without Teflon.