You may not know it, but PTFE polymer, also known as Teflon, has many uses in both a home and business setting. In fact, there’s probably a wide range of items in your home right now, which make use of Teflon.
If you’re intrigued and you’d like to learn more about how Teflon is used, keep reading.
Because in this post, we’re going to cover 7 ways Teflon impacts home and business life. When you’re done, you’ll be amazed at just how versatile this material is.
Let’s begin!
1. Vehicle Wiper Blades
A lot of people don’t know the windscreen wipers on their vehicles use Teflon. This might sound surprising at first, but when you understand what Teflon does, it all begins to make sense.
One of the key benefits of using Teflon is it helps make things smoother. This, of course, can help reduce friction. By using Teflon on windscreen wipers, you’re able to make it easier for the wipers to ‘glide’ across the windshield.
This means that the windscreen wipers end up needing less power. But it also means they last a lot longer because they’re under less strain when being used.
The reduced friction also makes it easier to wipe away greater quantities of rain, in shorter periods of time. This can make it safer for people to drive their car in poor weather conditions.
2. Equipment Related Hair Styling
Teflon is also used a great deal in equipment used to style hair. An example of this might be a hair straightener. This item is supposed to be very hot when in use. But these high temperatures can lead to hair sticking to the device.
This, of course, makes the device unusable. Teflon, though, can provide a nonstick surface, even at high temperatures, making it safer for people to give themselves a makeover.
3. Cookware
This is perhaps one of the most well-known uses for Teflon. There are a lot of companies that market their pans, by simply saying the equipment makes use of Teflon.
Teflon can provide pans with a nonstick surface, meaning food is less likely to stick to the pan when it’s being cooked. The good thing here, though, is the nonstick surface means that less oil needs to be used when cooking.
Aside from adding flavor, oils/butter might be used when cooking to prevent food from sticking to the pan and burning. But Teflon already provides a nonstick surface, meaning you can do away with the oils/butter. This makes it easier for people to cook healthy food.
It’s also worth noting that Teflon has greater general applications within the food industry. It might be used to coat cheese molds or even ice cube trays, for example.
4. Industrial Uses
Teflon also has many industrial uses.
One of the ways it’s used is to protect steel from corrosion. This is especially the case if the steel is going to come into contact with harsh chemicals. If there are any kind of ‘hoses’ that are used for corrosive chemicals, the Teflon is used to protect the material which makes up the hose.
Teflon is also used in machines that are part of the industrial process. It can be used to coat small parts that need to be cleaned on a regular basis, for instance.
5. Solar Panels
Solar panel manufacturers need to reduce the effects of weathering, without harming the panels ability to produce power.
There is the option of glass, but this isn’t ideal. Glass is generally fragile and using high-strength glass can be expensive. Glass can also be quite heavy and this could cause problems during the installation process.
Most roofs aren’t designed to support a lot of weight.
This is where Teflon comes in.
Teflon is very light, so weight becomes less of an issue. Plus, solar panels can be coated in Teflon, without significantly impacting the panels ability to generate power. Because Teflon lasts a long time, it also means that this level of protection is going to last for many years.
Due to the smooth nature of a Teflon coating, solar panels using Teflon are also easier to clean. This is helpful when you consider the cleaner a solar panel is, the more power it can generate.
6. Fabric Protection
The non-stick properties of Teflon mean that it’s also able to reduce the odds of staining.
It’s because of this that PTFE is also used a great deal in the carpet industry. Carpets coated in this material are able to withstand stains to a greater degree.
This makes such carpets appealing to people who have small children or just want to stay on the safe side of things. Especially those that want to reduce carpet cleaning bills.
There are even clothes which make use of Teflon, to reduce the odds of a permanent stain ruining the clothes.
7. Nail Polish
Teflon also has uses in the world of nail polish, as Teflon ‘flakes’ are sometimes added to a nail polish mixture.
The general nature of Teflon means that it naturally produces a bit of a reflective surface. This can help improve the look of nail polish, giving it a ‘shiner’ look. But Teflon can also provide the nail polish with more ‘strength.’ This can reduce the odds of the nail polish cracking.
PTFE Polymer Expert?
PTFE polymer, also known as Teflon, impacts our lives in many ways. In this post, we’ve covered just a few of the applications of the useful material.
The versatile nature of Teflon means that it’s likely going to be around for a while. As new innovations hit the world, there’s a good chance that Teflon will be used to make these items even more effective at their job.
With that being said, it’s interesting to consider how Teflon will continue to affect how we interact with the world.
Interested in how you can become more productive? Check out this blog post for some tips!