What “the material” actually is
PTFE is sold as grades, not as a single substance. Chemistry (C2F4)n, density ~2.2 g/cm³, heat band ~327 °C.
This atlas treats PTFE as a system: mill route, coatings, tests and the cavity it sits in.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength22
Heat resistance74
Fire performance58
Insulation32
Workability35
Circularity24
LessMore
Each bar is a 0-100 atlas score for this topic, not a timeline.
Fire performance
58%
Heat resistance
74%
Milestones in order. This is history, not a weekly activity grid.
- Plunkett cylinder
- Manhattan seals
- Teflon trademark
- Green pan lore
- Gore-Tex ePTFE
- Thread seal tape
- PFOA debate
- GenX / alternatives
- Medical ePTFE
- PFAS umbrella
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
heat 74 · fire 58
Fire role or insulation role
Pick the fire-performance reading or the insulation reading already scored on this material. Teaching marks — not a specification.
Atlas scores and on-page facts only. A named product test, thickness and assembly decide any real wall or garment. No lab stamp.
Quick facts
~327 °CTm
extremely lowμ
High LOI; fumesFire
TeflonIcon
Linings / tapeUse
polymersFamily
PTFE is one of 32 materials in this atlas, grouped under polymers: history, structure, measured properties, process routes, uses, safety and market — not a product catalogue.
Scores compare PTFE with the rest of the atlas on strength, heat, fire behaviour, insulation, workability and circularity. They are editorial, not certificates.
Seven chapters follow. Fire and insulation claims name test families (Euroclass, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F) rather than inventing a single safety number.
Deep introduction
Deep dive: PTFE
PTFE ((C2F4)n) is a family of grades whose density ~2.2 g/cm³, heat band ~327 °C, and fire letter high OI but pyrolysis fumes.
Heat, fire and insulation
Conductivity note: ~0.25 W/m·K. Insulation score 32/100 is relative to 32 entries — metals lose, VIPs and aerogels win.
Fire letter in editorial use: high OI but pyrolysis fumes. Do not equate A1 with “safe in a blaze” or E with “illegal”. Assemblies decide.
How it is made and used
Origin: DuPont 1938 Plunkett, United States. The process chapter follows feedstock → conversion → forming → finish → install.
Uses span buildings to defence / safety. Pairings matter: silicone.
Market and circularity
Producers below are landmarks, not an endorsement ranking. Prices are bands, not live quotes.
Circularity mark 24/100. Ask which scrap, which certificate, which year.
The profile
Strength
22
Heat resistance
74
Fire performance
58
Insulation
32
Workability
35
Circularity
24
Fire role or insulation role
Pick the fire-performance reading or the insulation reading already scored on this material. Teaching marks — not a specification.
Atlas scores and on-page facts only. A named product test, thickness and assembly decide any real wall or garment. No lab stamp.
Seven chapters
Fire mark or insulation mark first?
Decision walkthrough on PTFE: fire 58, insulation 32, and one fact already on file — not a code stamp.
- Read the fire-performance mark — Fire on this hub is 58/100 — teaching comparison among atlas materials.
- Read the insulation mark — Insulation is 32/100 — heat-flow story, not the same question as flame.
- Sit one published fact beside them — Quick fact on file: Tm: ~327 °C.
- Sustainability is not a fire skip — A high sustainability mark does not replace fire protection in a real assembly.
- Not a building-code rating — Named tests, thickness and build-up still decide compliance — this page is literacy only.
On PTFE, fire 58 and insulation 32 answer different jobs; Tm: ~327 °C grounds one real detail.
Editorial atlas marks. Not a code certificate or product approval.
Thermal mark or safety fact first?
Second lab decision on PTFE: heat-resistance 74 beside published thermal fact Conductivity — literacy, not a code stamp.
- Read the heat-resistance mark — Heat resistance on this hub is 74/100 — a thermal story, different from the fire/insulation pair.
- Sit one thermal fact beside it — Properties chapter lists Conductivity among published thermal rows.
- Heat resistance is not a fire skip — A high thermal mark does not replace named fire tests in a real assembly.
- Still not a building-code rating — Thickness, build-up and named tests decide compliance — this page teaches axes only.
On PTFE, heat 74 and Conductivity are a second thermal/safety reading after fire vs insulation.
Editorial atlas marks. Not a code certificate or product approval.
Heat line to keep
A decision from printed marks. Not a building permit.
Frequently asked questions
Is PTFE non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: high OI but pyrolysis fumes. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does PTFE insulate?
Thermal mark 32/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: ~0.25 W/m·K.
What is the density band?
~2.2 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: DuPont 1938 Plunkett (United States).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 24/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
~327 °C
What should it be paired with?
silicone: The other high-temp elastomer/plastic in kitchens.
Where is it specified?
Buildings, transport, energy and consumer goods — see the uses chapter.
Is the fire-performance score a building-code rating?
No. It is an editorial 0–100 teaching mark among materials in this atlas. A real wall or garment needs a named product test, thickness and assembly. This page is not a lab stamp.
When should I read insulation instead of fire?
Use the insulation pick when the question is heat flow — lining, loft, or a cold-bridge — and the fire pick when the question is how the same material behaves in flame. Both numbers already sit on this hub; they answer different jobs.
Does a high sustainability score mean I can skip fire protection?
No. Sustainability here is a relative atlas mark (growth, reuse, embodied story). Bamboo and timber can still char like wood. Fire protection stays a separate specification.
Why is bamboo missing in some languages?
A language URL is published only when the seven chapters are real prose in that language. Bamboo exists in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. French, German, Portuguese and Russian stay withheld — earlier machine drafts leaked English, so those URLs are not opened.
Icons
Roy Plunkett
United States · 1938
Roy Plunkett is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
Teflon pan
France / US · 1960s–
Teflon pan is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
Gore-Tex
United States · 1969–
Gore-Tex is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
Thread tape
Global · 1970s–
Thread tape is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
Pipe liner
Global · 1980s–
Pipe liner is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
Labware
Global · 1950s–
Labware is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
Space suits lore
United States · 1960s
Space suits lore is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
Bearing pads
Global · 1970s–
Bearing pads is a reference point in the public image of PTFE.
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5 / 8
Head-to-head
Same family or rival physics — pick a duel.
Similar materials
Closest neighbours on the six atlas axes — strength, heat, fire, insulation, workability and circularity.
🫧
Silicone
Si–O backbone elastomers and resins — bakeware, medical tubing, façade sealants and a kinder high-temp story than carbon chains.
Overall 55 🩺Nitinol
Near-equiatomic Ni–Ti that remembers shape and super-elasticates — stents, orthodontics and actuators.
Overall 48 👨🚒Nomex
DuPont’s meta-aramid — fire-fighter turnout, electrical paper and a char that does not melt-drip like nylon.
Overall 65 🏗️Concrete
The hydraulic ceramic of cities — cement, water, rock and usually steel, with a fire story better than exposed steel.
Overall 57More in Polymers
🧴
Polyethylene
The world’s volume plastic — bags, bottles, pipes and the UHMWPE cousin in medical and ballistic fibre.
Overall 40 🛞Natural rubber
Cis-1,4-polyisoprene from Hevea — tyres still drink most of the world’s latex.
Overall 44 🫧Silicone
Si–O backbone elastomers and resins — bakeware, medical tubing, façade sealants and a kinder high-temp story than carbon chains.
Overall 55