Alumina vs. PTFE

Alumina and PTFE belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Alumina is a ceramic material, while PTFE is polymeric. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 13 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (18, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is alumina and the bottom bar is PTFE.

Alumina (Aluminum Oxide, Al₂O₃)Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa		1920 to 2750
Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa		6.9 to 24

Flexural Strength, MPa		260 to 430
Flexural Strength, MPa		13 to 50

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		210 to 290
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		13 to 25

Thermal Properties

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C		650 to 1730
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C		260 to 270

Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		2040
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		330 to 340

Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K		14 to 30
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K		0.24 to 0.65

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		6.7 to 8.2
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		110 to 120

Electrical Properties

Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity) At 1 MHz		7.8 to 11
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity) At 1 MHz		2.1 to 2.4

Electrical Dissipation At 1 MHz		0.00049 to 0.0013
Electrical Dissipation At 1 MHz		0.00017 to 0.050

Electrical Resistivity Order of Magnitude, 10^x Ω-m		6.2 to 14
Electrical Resistivity Order of Magnitude, 10^x Ω-m		2.0 to 18

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm³		3.4 to 4.1
Density, g/cm³		2.1 to 2.3

Common Calculations

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		14 to 23
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		1.7 to 3.2

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		19 to 28
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		5.7 to 8.7