Round Rod in PTFE MG 1000 mm natural

Round rod in PTFE MG is unfilled, sintered polytetrafluoroethylene in a turnable rod format. This is the material you reach for when the part has to sit in an environment where other plastics give up: aggressive chemicals, extreme cold or dry sliding surfaces where lubricants are not allowed. The rod is unpigmented, hence the natural white color, and it is often chosen exactly where cleanliness matters.

Natural white right through, without pigment; what you turn out is the same material the whole way in.

The basic properties are the same ones that made PTFE a standard material in the chemical industry. Continuous operating temperature from minus 200 °C to 260 °C. Chemical resistance to more or less everything; the exceptions, molten alkali metals and free fluorine, are ones you rarely meet in a Swedish workshop. The density is around 2.15 g/cm³, the fire rating is V-0 according to UL 94 and the friction coefficient against steel lands around 0.05 to 0.10, among the lowest measured for solid materials. The material also insulates electrically very well, with high dielectric strength, which explains why it turns up in everything from connectors to high voltage feedthroughs.

In the 1000 mm length we stock 21 diameters from 10 to 100 mm. If you do not find the intermediate step you need, more diameters are available in the 2000 and 3000 mm lengths.

Out of the rod you turn sealing parts above all: seats for ball and plug valves, stuffing box rings, piston seals and back-up rings. But also bushings and plain bearings that work without lubrication, insulators in high frequency and high voltage equipment, spacers in dosing pumps and parts for lab equipment where chemical purity weighs heaviest. Keep in mind that parts turned out of coarse rod can need symmetrical material removal so they do not warp. For food and pharmaceutical applications you check the applicable approvals in the material's TDS.

The format choice is simple. If the part is to be turned you choose the rod in the nearest larger diameter, so you minimize both machine time and waste; if the part is hollow with a large through hole, a hollow bar can be a smarter starting point.

In the design there are two things to respect. Cold flow: PTFE creeps under constant load, so seals and bearings that have to hold preload need spring elements behind them or a filled grade. And the thermal expansion, which is large compared with metal; a tightly toleranced bushing that fits at 20 °C can seize or go slack when the temperature swings, so calculate the clearances across the whole operating range.

Turning is rewarding if the tools are sharp. The material is soft and tough; high cutting speed, low feed and a sharp edge give shiny surfaces, while a dull edge tears and leaves fuzz. Slender, long blanks need support because the rod springs away from the cutting pressure. Also expect the dimensions to settle somewhat after machining; rough machine, let the blank rest and then finish turn to final dimension if the tolerances are tight. Threading works, but coarse profiles hold better than fine ones in the soft material.

Weigh the grade against the alternatives before you order. Filled PTFE with glass, carbon or bronze takes load and wear better, and POM or PA are stiffer and more dimensionally stable when the chemistry is gentle; unfilled PTFE wins when resistance, temperature range or friction decides the choice.

If the rod is to be divided into blank lengths we do it for you; add CTS to the cart and state the lengths, and the material arrives ready cut.

Unsure whether unfilled PTFE or a filled grade suits your part best? Call us and we will sort it out.