Gasket material
Expanded PTFE (ePTFE) Gasket Material
Expanded PTFE is PTFE that has been stretched into a soft, fibrous sheet with strength in every direction. It seals glass-lined, plastic and uneven flanges at low bolt load and takes almost any chemical. We cut it to your drawing on the waterjet.
- Family
- Expanded PTFE sheet
- Temperature
- -60 C to 230 C typical (-76 F to 445 F)
- Thickness
- 1.0 mm to 6.0 mm (0.039 in to 0.236 in)
- Formats
- Sheets 60 x 60 in (1524 x 1524 mm)
- Designations
- ASTM F104 (fluoropolymer group); tested to ASTM F36, F37, F38
- Product
- Sheet gaskets waterjet-cut to your drawing in Orange, California
Figures are the cited maker or standards values; the sheet datasheet and your application govern the final choice.
Every common gasket sheet material is quick for us to source, and we cut it to your print on our waterjet.
What expanded PTFE seals
Expanded PTFE keeps the chemical resistance of solid PTFE and adds two things a skived sheet lacks: it compresses easily, so it seals glass-lined steel, FRP and plastic flanges that cannot take a high bolt load, and it resists the cold flow that thins a solid PTFE gasket under load [S1]. Strong acids, caustics, solvents and chlorine service are its home.
The typical-use range on the cited sheet is -60 C to 230 C at up to 40 bar, with wider limits available for specific designs [S1]. Where the flange is steel, flat and heavily bolted, filled PTFE holds its thickness better; where the medium is mild, compressed fiber costs less.
Naming it on the print
Prints usually name a maker's sheet, such as GORE® GR or a Teadit® expanded grade, or write expanded PTFE with the thickness. ASTM F104 classifies fluoropolymer gasket sheet, and the PTFE gasket page lists the type and class digits for virgin, expanded and filled sheet. Sheet is sourced to the callout you give; the cutting is done here.
Specifications
Expanded PTFE (ePTFE) specifications
| Property | Value (in / mm, C / F as stated) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | 100 percent expanded PTFE with multidirectional strength (GORE GR) | [S1] |
| Temperature, typical use | -60 C to 230 C (-76 F to 445 F) | [S1] |
| Temperature, maximum use | -269 C to 315 C (-452 F to 600 F) | [S1] |
| Pressure | Full vacuum to 40 bar (580 psi) typical; to 210 bar (3000 psi) maximum use | [S1] |
| Thickness | 1.0 mm (0.039 in), 1.5 mm (0.059 in), 3.0 mm (0.118 in), 6.0 mm (0.236 in) | [S1] |
| Formats | Sheets 1524 x 1524 mm (60 x 60 in) | [S1] |
| Test methods named | ASTM F36, F37, F38; EN 13555 | [S1] |
| Designations | ASTM F104 classifies fluoropolymer gasket sheet; the type and class digits are on the PTFE gasket page | [S2] |
How we cut it
Gaskets are waterjet-cut to your drawing in Orange, California. Send a DXF, DWG or PDF with the thickness, the material or the specification callout, and the quantity. There is no die to build, so a single prototype and a repeat run go through the same setup, and a revision needs only a new file. The sheet comes from the sheet makers we buy from, to the callout on your print; the cutting is ours. PTFE in every form goes on the waterjet, never a laser, which would decompose the polymer; the sheet is expensive, so parts are nested tightly with no die-skeleton waste.
Where Expanded PTFE (ePTFE) is used, and the usual alternatives
The print or the sheet datasheet governs; these are the sheets usually specified instead:
- Solid PTFE: when the flange is flat and the print names virgin or skived sheet.
- Filled PTFE: when creep resistance under a heavy bolt load matters more than conformability.
- Compressed non-asbestos fiber: when the medium is water, steam or oil and the budget is tight.
- Flexible graphite: when the joint runs hotter than PTFE allows.
Related gasket materials: PTFE Gasket Material, Filled PTFE Gasket Material, Compressed Non-Asbestos Fiber (CNAF) Gasket Material, Flexible Graphite Gasket Material. The full index is on the gaskets hub; send the drawing through request a quote.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between expanded and solid PTFE gaskets?
Expanded PTFE is stretched into a soft fibrous sheet that compresses at low bolt load and resists cold flow. Solid skived PTFE is denser, harder to seat, and creeps under sustained load.
Can ePTFE seal a glass-lined or plastic flange?
Yes, that is its main use. It seats at the low bolt loads those flanges allow and conforms to their surface.
How hot can an expanded PTFE gasket run?
The GORE GR sheet gives a typical range of -60 C to 230 C, with a maximum-use figure of 315 C for specific designs. Use the maker's sheet for the grade on your print.
Why not laser-cut PTFE?
PTFE gives off toxic gases when burned. The waterjet cuts it clean at room temperature, which is why every PTFE gasket here is a waterjet part.
What should the print say?
The maker's sheet name or expanded PTFE, the thickness, the outside and inside dimensions or the flange size, and the quantity. A DXF is best.
Sources
- [S1] GORE GR Sheet Gasketing, W. L. Gore & Associates, https://www.gore.com/products/gore-gr-sheet-gasketing, accessed 2026-09-13.
- [S2] ASTM F104-11(2020), Standard Classification System for Nonmetallic Gasket Materials, https://store.astm.org/f0104-11r20.html, accessed 2026-09-13.
GORE is a trademark of W. L. Gore & Associates; Teadit is a trademark of its owner. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Related guides
Send the Expanded PTFE (ePTFE) gasket drawing and the quantity
Upload a DXF, DWG or PDF of the gasket with the quote request, or a photo of the part with a ruler if no drawing exists. Add the sheet thickness, the durometer or grade, the quantity and whether adhesive backing is wanted. Gaskets are cut in our own shop in Orange, California; a Conquest representative replies.
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