What are Teflon and PFOA? Where are they found? Teflon® is a brand name for a man-made chemical known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It has been in commercial use since the 1940s. It has a wide variety of uses because it is extremely s…

One of the primary uses of bellows is to absorb dimensional changes due to thermal effects, which is very useful when used high temperature flows such as steam. Bellows also serve to dampen vibration in the system caused by rotating compon…

Ball Valve Seals Material Choice The choice of a seal material for a ball valve is vital to its successful operation. In this post, we are going to look at some of the major characteristics of six commonly used options for polymer seals in…

Evolution of Seal Materials The evolution of seal materials evolved as seals faced more rugged demands. Early needs could be met using packed hemp or leather, but as the demands became more and more rigorous new materials were sought. This…

For decades, DuPont has sold the answer to crud, gunk, and grime. What the company didn’t advertise was that its nonstick wonder sticks—to us. Congresswoman Pat Schroeder was scrambling eggs, one day back in 1984, when she coined one of th…

PTFE APPLICATIONS PTFE’s significant chemical, temperature, moisture, and electrical resistances make it an ideal material whenever products, tools, and components need to be durable and reliable in even the most strenuous applications. On…

Polymer Bellows and Diaphragms PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), aka Teflon, is typically the first choice polymer for bellows and diaphragms, but did you know that PTFE isn’t the only polymer you can choose from? In this article we are goin…

PEEK, which stands for polyetheretherketone, is a well-known engineering thermoplastic. It has become a popular choice for bushings that must operate in demanding high-speed, high-temperature environments. In this post, we will look at 6 r…

The PTFE Rotary Seal Difference PTFE rotary seals are often the answer when elastomeric seals just can’t handle the demands. In this article we are going to look at just five ways that PTFE seals differ in performance and behavior from ela…

The medical device industry faces continually evolving challenges when it comes to finding the right sealing solutions for new and improved designs. Issues such as sterilization, wide ranges of expected pressure, potentially aggressive env…

For a number of years fluoropolymers have played a significant role in the chemical and similar industries to protect plants and equipment against chemical attack by a broad range of aggressive media. This is because they offer substantial…

PTFE Rotary Shaft Seals Outperform Rubber Shaft Seals Elastomeric seals performed well for many years, but as the applications and environments became more demanding, elastomers had a hard time keeping up. If the application pressure is ab…

Home cooks who enjoy conveniently sliding eggs out of a pan know all about Teflon’s non-stick properties. But Teflon’s applications go well beyond cookware, and growth in several industries is driving global demand for the material. Teflon…