PPS Ryton vs PTFE Teflon: Complete Engineering Comparison (2026) — Temperature, Strength, Cost

Which Material Should You Choose?Choose PPS Ryton if:Structural components requiring chemical resistance, dimensional stability, and injection moldability (automotive under-hood, pump housings, electrical connectors)Choose PTFE Teflon...

The choice between PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide) and PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) is one of the most consequential material selection decisions in chemical-resistant engineering. Both are semicrystalline high-performance polymers with exceptional chemical resistance, but they occupy opposite ends of the mechanical-vs-chemical spectrum. PPS offers the best combination of mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and chemical resistance among injection-moldable engineering thermoplastics. PTFE offers the absolute broadest chemical resistance and highest continuous service temperature of any thermoplastic, but at the cost of poor mechanical properties and the inability to be injection molded.

When to choose PPS: PPS is the default choice when you need chemical resistance in a structural, injection-molded component. With a tensile strength of 86 MPa (3.4× higher than PTFE's 25 MPa) and a flexural modulus of 3.9 GPa (PPS 40% GF grade), PPS can replace metal in pump housings, valve bodies, and automotive under-hood components exposed to fuels, oils, and coolants. PPS is injection moldable at melt temperatures of 300-340°C with mold temperatures of 120-150°C, making it processable on standard high-temperature injection molding equipment. Its low shrinkage rate (0.2-0.5% for glass-filled grades) enables tight-tolerance, dimensionally stable parts that maintain their shape under load and across temperature cycles. PPS resists virtually all chemicals below 200°C except strong oxidizing agents.

When to choose PTFE: PTFE is the material of last resort when no other thermoplastic can survive the chemical environment. Its fully fluorinated carbon backbone makes it chemically inert to virtually every industrial chemical, including hydrofluoric acid, aqua regia, concentrated sulfuric acid, and all organic solvents. PTFE's continuous service temperature of 260°C exceeds PPS's 180°C by 80 degrees, making it the only choice for high-temperature chemical exposure. PTFE also has the lowest coefficient of friction of any solid material (0.05-0.10 dynamic), making it ideal for bearing and sliding surfaces. The critical limitation: PTFE cannot be injection molded. It must be compression molded, ram extruded, or machined from stock shapes, which limits part geometry complexity and increases manufacturing cost. PTFE also suffers from severe cold flow (creep) under load, making it unsuitable for structural applications without fillers or backing rings.

Chemical resistance comparison: PPS resists most acids, bases, solvents, and fuels below 200°C but is attacked by strong oxidizing acids (concentrated nitric acid, chromic acid, aqua regia) at elevated temperatures. PTFE is inert to ALL chemicals across its entire temperature range, including the oxidizing acids that attack PPS. For applications involving concentrated nitric acid, chromic acid, or other strong oxidizers at elevated temperature, PTFE is the only viable thermoplastic choice.

Processing comparison: PPS is one of the easiest high-performance polymers to injection mold, with a wide processing window and minimal drying requirements. Glass-filled PPS (40% GF) is the most common grade for structural applications, offering 140°C HDT and excellent creep resistance. PTFE cannot be injection molded at all. PTFE parts are made by compression molding powder into billets, sintering at 380°C, then machining to final geometry. This process is inherently low-volume, high-cost, and limited in geometric complexity compared to injection molding.

Comparison at a Glance

Related Diagnostics & Materials

References & Industry Standards

• ASTM International. Standard Specifications for Engineering Plastics & Thermoplastics. astm.org
• UL Prospector. Plastics & Elastomers Material Database. ulprospector.com
• MatWeb. Material Property Data for Engineering Thermoplastics. matweb.com
• ISO 1043. Plastics — Symbols and Abbreviated Terms. iso.org