PTFE vs. Optical Silicon
PTFE and optical silicon belong to fundamentally different material chemistries. PTFE is a polymeric material, while optical silicon is ceramic. Therefore, their performance will be even more dissimilar than would be suggested by the difference in properties. There are 11 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (19, in this case) are not shown.
For each property being compared, the top bar is PTFE and the bottom bar is optical silicon.
Metric UnitsUS Customary Units
Mechanical Properties
Compressive (Crushing) Strength, MPa | 6.9 to 24 | |
120 |
Flexural Strength, MPa | 13 to 50 | |
300 |
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa | 13 to 25 | |
110 |
Thermal Properties
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical, °C | 260 to 270 | |
1350 |
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C | 330 to 340 | |
1560 |
Thermal Conductivity, W/m-K | 0.24 to 0.65 | |
150 |
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K | 110 to 120 | |
3.0 |
Electrical Properties
Dielectric Constant (Relative Permittivity) At 1 MHz | 2.1 to 2.4 | |
12 |
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Density, g/cm3 | 2.1 to 2.3 | |
2.3 |
Common Calculations
Strength to Weight: Axial, points | 1.7 to 3.2 | |
13 |
Strength to Weight: Bending, points | 5.7 to 8.7 | |
22 |