Material guide
PVDF vs PTFE: Two Fluoropolymers, Different Jobs
PVDF and PTFE are both fluoropolymers with outstanding chemical resistance, but PVDF is stronger, weldable and machines like a normal plastic, while PTFE handles higher heat and nearly every chemical. Here's how to choose, plus where PFAS rules stand.
Choose PVDF for fabricated chemical equipment, such as tanks, piping, duct, pumps and valve parts, where you need excellent acid and oxidizer resistance plus strength, stiffness and weldability. Choose PTFE for the widest chemical resistance, higher temperatures (to about 500°F) and the lowest friction: seals, gaskets, liners and slide parts.
The short version
Both are fluoropolymers, the family behind the toughest chemical-resistant plastics. PTFE is fully fluorinated: almost nothing attacks it, it handles very high heat, and it's the slipperiest solid plastic, but it's soft, creeps under load and can't be melt-processed or welded. PVDF is partially fluorinated: a little less chemically universal and lower in temperature, but much stronger and stiffer, and it machines, welds and molds like a conventional plastic.
| PVDF | PTFE | |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | ~7,000–8,000 psi | ~3,000–4,000 psi |
| Stiffness and creep resistance | Much better | Soft; creeps under load |
| Continuous use temp | ~280–300°F (138–149°C) | ~500°F (260°C) |
| Acids and oxidizers | Excellent | Excellent |
| Strong bases | Fair; avoid hot caustic | Excellent |
| Solvents | Good; avoid ketones, esters, amines | Excellent |
| Friction | Low | Lowest of any plastic |
| Weldable / melt-processable | Yes | No |
| Abrasion resistance | Good | Poor unfilled |
| Relative cost | $$$ | $$$ |
Typical values for unfilled grades. Confirm with the datasheet for your grade.
Where PVDF wins
PVDF's strength, stiffness and weldability make it the go-to fluoropolymer for structural chemical equipment: welded tanks and fume duct, high-purity piping in semiconductor and pharmaceutical plants, pump and valve bodies, and machined fittings. It holds tolerances, resists abrasion and creep far better than PTFE, and is very pure, which matters for ultra-pure water and chemicals.
Where PTFE wins
PTFE resists essentially every industrial chemical, including hot caustic and solvents that attack PVDF, and handles continuous temperatures around 500°F. Its extremely low friction and non-stick surface make it ideal for seals, gaskets, valve seats, lined pipe, slide bearings and non-stick surfaces. For load-bearing parts, filled PTFE grades (glass, carbon, bronze) reduce creep and wear.
Fabrication
- PVDF: machines cleanly, and can be hot-air, extrusion and butt-fusion welded and thermoformed. See plastic welding shops.
- PTFE: machines easily but is soft and moves with temperature, so tight tolerances take care. It isn't weldable by normal methods and comes as molded and skived shapes.
A note on PFAS
PTFE and PVDF are fluoropolymers, and broad PFAS definitions include them. As of late 2026, the EU is still assessing a wide PFAS restriction that includes fluoropolymers in its scope, with regulators considering how to treat them differently from small, mobile PFAS chemicals. In the US, states such as Maine, Minnesota and New Mexico are phasing in restrictions on intentionally added PFAS in certain products, with exemptions for some uses, and federal TSCA reporting is underway. Industrial use continues, but if PFAS status matters for your product or market, ask suppliers for current regulatory statements and watch for changes.
When to choose each
Choose PVDF for
- Welded tanks, fume duct and piping
- Pump, valve and fitting bodies
- High-purity semiconductor and pharma systems
- Acids and oxidizers with mechanical load
Choose PTFE for
- Seals, gaskets and valve seats
- Hot caustic and aggressive solvents
- Temperatures up to ~500°F
- Low-friction slide plates and liners
Tip from the counter: if a PVDF part keeps failing in a caustic washdown, the chemistry is the problem, not the part. Polypropylene or PTFE may be the better fit, depending on temperature.
Related: chemical-resistant plastics chart, high-temperature plastics chart.
Common questions
Is PVDF the same as Teflon?
No. Teflon is a brand of PTFE (and related fluoropolymers). PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride, sold under names like Kynar and Solef) is a different, partially fluorinated polymer. Both have excellent chemical resistance, but PVDF is stronger and can be welded and molded, while PTFE handles higher temperatures and more chemicals.
What are the downsides of PVDF?
PVDF is attacked by strong bases (especially hot caustic), some amines, and ketones and esters such as acetone. Its continuous temperature limit (about 280 to 300°F) is well below PTFE's, and it costs more than PP, PE or PVC.
Has PTFE been banned?
Not broadly. As of late 2026, PTFE and PVDF are still widely made and used in industry. The EU is assessing a broad PFAS restriction that includes fluoropolymers in its scope, and several US states (such as Maine, Minnesota and New Mexico) are phasing in restrictions on intentionally added PFAS in certain products, with exemptions for some uses. Rules are evolving, so check current requirements for your industry and market.
Is PVDF considered a PFAS?
Under many broad definitions, including the one used in the EU restriction proposal, fluoropolymers like PVDF and PTFE fall under the PFAS umbrella. Regulators are weighing whether to treat high-molecular-weight fluoropolymers differently from small, mobile PFAS chemicals. If PFAS status matters for your product, ask your supplier for current regulatory statements.
Can you weld PTFE?
Not with standard plastic welding. PTFE doesn't flow when melted, so it's compression molded, sintered and skived into shapes, and joined mechanically or with special techniques. PVDF welds very well with hot-air, extrusion and butt-fusion methods, which is why it's used for tanks, piping and duct.
Values in this guide are typical figures for common unfilled grades, for general comparison only, and chemical resistance depends on the exact chemical, concentration and temperature. PFAS regulations are changing; this is general information as of October 2026, not legal or regulatory advice. Check the manufacturer's datasheet and material certifications for your exact grade, and confirm regulatory requirements with your supplier or compliance team.
Who stocks and machines it
Distributors that stock these materials and shops that machine or fabricate them, from the Stock & Shape directory.
PVDF
- Polymershapes – Seattle Seattle, WA
- Port Plastics – Seattle Seattle, WA
- Professional Plastics – Portland Tualatin, OR
- Boyd Machine Co. Souderton, PA
- First Op Manufacturing Salem, OR
- Magna Machine & Tool New Castle, IN
- Murray Mold & Die Murray, KY
PTFE (Teflon)
- Calsak Plastics – Portland Portland, OR
- Curbell Plastics – Dallas-Fort Worth Arlington, TX
- Piedmont Plastics – Salt Lake City Sandy, UT
- Total Plastics – Tampa Tampa, FL
- Carlson Tool & Manufacturing Cedarburg, WI
- H. H. Arnold Co. Rockland, MA
- MF Engineering Company Bristol, RI
- NN, Inc. – Algonquin Algonquin, IL