Materials / Compare
Plastic PTFE vs. Plastic UHMWPE
Compare Plastic PTFE vs. Plastic UHMWPE strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA bracket to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 9MPasourcetypical yield strength at 23 °C (Teflon PTFE, Table 8) | 20MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at yield ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 39.3MPasourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm | 43MPasourcetypical, tensile stress at break ISO 527, 50 mm/min |
| Elongation at break | 350%sourcetypical, skived tape 0.13 mm | 465%sourcetypical, nominal elongation at break ISO 527 |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | not sourced | 0.66GPasourcetypical, tensile modulus ISO 527, 1 mm/min |
| Density | 2,160kg/m³sourcetypical (standard specific gravity, ASTM D4894) | 930kg/m³sourcetypical |
| Strength to weight | 4.17kN·m/kg | 21.5kN·m/kg5.16x higher |
| Stiffness to weight | not sourced | 0.71MN·m/kg |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.46sourcetypical, 23 °C (Teflon PTFE resins, Chemours handbook) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | not sourced | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | not sourced | 842m/s |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.25W/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 4.6 mm specimen | 0.4W/m·Ksourcetypical, unfilled (narrative value, generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| Thermal expansion | 100µm/m·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 23-60 °C (ASTM E228) | 200µm/m·Ksourcetypical, 20 to 100 °C (generic Celanese UHMWPE) |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 500µm growth2x less | 1,000µm growth |
| Specific heat | 1,400J/kg·Ksourcetypical, granular resin, 20 °C (ASTM D4591) | not sourced |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | 0.0827mm²/s | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | not sourced | not sourced |
| Melting point | 327°Csourcesecond melting peak (sintered polymer), +/-10 | 130–138°CsourceDSC 10 K/min |
| Max service temperature | 260°Csourceservice temperature (Chemours general Teflon PTFE statement) | 80°Csourcerecommended max constant operating temperature |
| Values for | Chemours Teflon PTFE 7C X granular molding resin, typical values (tensile/elongation measured on 0.13 mm skived tape) | Celanese GUR 4120 (avg. molecular weight 4.7x10^6 g/mol), typical values on compression-molded specimens; CTE and thermal conductivity from Celanese's generic UHMWPE guide (grade not named) |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
Questions
Is Plastic PTFE stronger than Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE is stronger: its yield strength is 20 MPa against 9 MPa for Plastic PTFE (2.22x).
Which is lighter, Plastic PTFE or Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE is lighter: 930 kg/m³ against 2,160 kg/m³ for Plastic PTFE.
Which is lighter for the same job, Plastic PTFE or Plastic UHMWPE?
For the same stiffness or strength: Plastic UHMWPE is lighter for a strong rod or tie, strong beam, strong panel or plate.
| Part that must be | Plastic PTFE | Plastic UHMWPE |
|---|---|---|
| Strong rod or tie | 5.16x heavier | lighter |
| Strong beam | 3.96x heavier | lighter |
| Strong panel or plate | 3.46x heavier | lighter |
For the same stiffness or strength, mass scales with density over stiffness (or strength) raised to a power set by how the part is loaded: 1 for a rod in tension, 1/2 for a beam in bending, 1/3 for a panel (the standard material-selection indices).
Which conducts heat better, Plastic PTFE or Plastic UHMWPE?
Plastic UHMWPE conducts heat better: 0.4 W/m·K against 0.25 W/m·K for Plastic PTFE.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plastic PTFE expands less: 100 µm/m·K against 200 µm/m·K for Plastic UHMWPE.