Graphite vs. PTFE
Graphite and PTFE belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. Graphite 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 9 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (15, in this case) are not shown.
For each property being compared, the top bar is graphite and the bottom bar is PTFE.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Material Properties
| Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa | 90 | |
| 6.9 to 24 |
| Density, g/cm3 | 1.8 | |
| 2.1 to 2.3 |
| Flexural Strength, MPa | 80 | |
| 13 to 50 |
| Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 220 | |
| 260 to 270 |
| Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 2.9 | |
| 1.7 to 3.2 |
| Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 8.7 | |
| 5.7 to 8.7 |
| Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 18 | |
| 13 to 25 |
| Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 6.0 | |
| 0.24 to 0.65 |
| Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 4.9 | |
| 110 to 120 |