PTFE (Teflon®) O-Rings

Polytetrafluoroethylene, better known as Teflon® or PTFE, is a material founded by E.I. DuPont in 1938 and has become a widely popular choice of material when sealing a wide range of chemicals, acids, bases, and steam. This tough material cannot be compressed very easily, which is good for abrasion resistance but bad for properly sealing liquids. This is the main reason why PTFE is mostly used as a backup ring, seals, brushing, plugs, and washers. It's also applied as a coating for other elastomers used in O-Rings, which allows it to resist abrasive damage, but still remain elastic enough to seal properly.

Learn more about PTFE in the APG Knowledge Base.