PTFE Rods for Cryogenic & High-Temperature Parts

The widest working range of any machinable plastic

Virgin PTFE rod stays usable from about -180°C up to +260°C continuously — a span no other common engineering plastic comes close to. At the cold end it remains flexible and does not become brittle, which is why PTFE parts are used in cryogenic LNG and liquid-gas handling. At the hot end it tolerates steam and process heat that would soften nylon, acetal or UHMWPE (all limited to roughly 80–120°C). This makes PTFE rod the go-to machining stock for seals, bushes, spacers and insulators that see either temperature extreme.

Allowing for thermal expansion

PTFE has a high coefficient of thermal expansion (roughly 100–160 × 10⁻⁶ /°C), several times that of metal. A part machined to a tight fit at room temperature can bind or seize when heated, or open up a clearance when chilled. Good PTFE part design accounts for this: machine bores and clearances for the actual operating temperature, confine PTFE in a housing where it can expand in a controlled direction, and avoid rigid interference fits across a wide temperature swing.

Grade selection

For pure thermal extremes with light load, virgin PTFE rod is ideal. Where the hot or cold part also carries mechanical load, a filled grade (glass or carbon) resists creep better at temperature and improves dimensional stability. Tell us the temperature range and the load and we will confirm the right stock to machine from.

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