Teflon O-Rings

How Teflon O-Rings Are Manufactured

A variety of manufacturing processes, including extrusion, compression molding, injection molding, transfer molding, and machining, are used to make O-rings. They can be made from a wide range of materials, including silicone, polyurethane, neoprene, nitrile rubber, fluorocarbon, and other elastomers, depending on the application. Teflon O-rings are made from a polymer with a high molecular weight called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) using the different methods below:

O-Ring Extrusion

Many O-rings are produced by extrusion. During the extrusion manufacturing process, a raw material is forced through a die or a set of dies, adopting the die's shape as it passes through. Some extrusion methods also call for a hopper to pour the heated raw material. O-rings are produced using a ring-shaped die. Extrusion comes in a variety of forms, such as cold, friction, and micro extrusion.

Pressure Molding

Pressure molding is another industrial technique used to make Teflon O-rings. It also goes by the name of compression molding and uses pressure and heat to produce three-dimensional objects. Some manufacturing businesses pump heated PTFE into a mold cavity to form Teflon O-rings. The top of the mold cavity is then equipped with a stopper that can apply pressure to the mold cavity. As pressure builds up inside the mold cavity, the preheated material takes the shape of the mold cavity.

Injection Molding

Teflon O-rings are also produced using the manufacturing method known as injection molding. Raw material (PTFE) is injected into a mold cavity in this process. The substance is heated to liquify it, and then it is injected into a mold cavity.

Transfer Molding

Pressure molding and transfer molding are comparable. In both production methods, a mold cavity is filled with preheated material. Compression molding and transfer molding both require mold cavities, but compression molding needs an open mold cavity. Transfer molding's closed mold cavity allows for the creation of higher pressure. As a result, finished items like O-rings frequently have a thicker and more uniform pattern.

Considerations When Using Teflon O-Rings

Compared to other materials, Teflon plastic O-rings are considered fairly restricted because they can only be utilized in temperatures between -100 and 400 °F (-73 to 204 °C). Teflon O-rings cannot be melted; thus, compression and sintering are used to create its rounded shape. Other O-ring polymers are formed using heat or die cutting equipment after a curing procedure. Many elastomeric O-rings have a Teflon sleeve or covering that shields the least durable rubber material from abrasion as well as from damaging and corrosive substances.

Teflon is ideal for preventing surface wear because it has a very low coefficient of friction and is inert, or chemically reacts with essentially no substances. Lubrication is another method for preventing O-rings from deterioration, especially when they are sealing two moving elements. Teflon is also non-permeable, uniform, nonflammable, able to withstand strong impact, and doesn't swell in response to temperature changes.

Characteristics of Teflon Rings

Since Teflon is one of the slipperiest solids ever created, it is resistant to almost all industrial chemicals and solvents, withstands extremely high temperatures, and is a superb insulator. Because of these properties, O-rings made from this material are frequently used for items that need an anti-stick surface. Teflon’s low coefficient of friction makes it an excellent choice for situations where components would move against one another.

Applications of Teflon O-Rings

Teflon O-rings occasionally incorporate additives, including glass, charcoal, graphite, and bronze, to increase the material's mechanical strength, stability, and wear resistance. Since many metal O-rings also incorporate plastic components to fill out their shapes, the practice of using metal as a filler for rubber Teflon O-rings is the same process in reverse. This procedure guarantees that O-rings will effectively seal the gap between two components of a machine or pipe system.

Teflon O-rings are useful in various applications in the automotive, medical, pharmaceutical, electrical appliance, and aerospace industries, particularly when additives are utilized. Brake systems, hydraulic cylinders, pistons, heat exchangers, and various water pumps are a few specific examples.

Benefits of Teflon O-Rings

• Compact installation space, simple structure, and small footprint
• Routine adjustment is not necessary because of their self-sealing function
• Static-sealing applications with good sealing performance and no leaks
• The movement has a low friction resistance, making it ideal when the strain changes
• Lightweight, affordable, and reusable
• Flexible for use in a wide range of implementations

Drawbacks of Teflon O-Rings

• Teflon O-rings are more complex than other O-rings
• Need special finishing after installation to regulate and reduce the higher leakage rate
• Cannot be reinstalled or reused
• Becomes disposable after a single use, unlike rubber seals

Because of all these factors, Teflon O-rings are only chosen when stronger chemical resistance and extreme temperature ranges are needed. Otherwise, rubber compound O-rings are typically favored over Teflon.

Choosing the Correct Teflon™ O-Ring Supplier

To ensure you have the most positive outcome when purchasing Teflon O-rings from a Teflon O-ring supplier, it is important to compare several companies using our directory of Teflon O-ring suppliers. Each Teflon O-ring supplier has a business profile page highlighting their areas of experience and capabilities, along with a contact form to directly communicate with the supplier for more information or request a quote. Review eachTeflon O-ring business using our proprietary website previewer to quickly learn what each company specializes in. Then, use our simple RFQ form to contact multiple Teflon O-ring suppliers with the same form.