Teflon® and Gore-Tex®

Teflon®

Teflon® is the trade name for a polymer called polytetrafluoroethene or PTFE. It is very slippery so it is used to make non-stick coatings for pans. It is also used in clothing to make it difficult for dirt to stick, and it is used in Gore-Tex®. PTFE is also unreactive, so it is used to make pipes and containers for chemicals.

A section of a Teflon® molecule

Gore-Tex®

Gore-Tex® fabric

Gore-Tex® is a fabric that is designed to keep you dry in the rain without getting sweaty. It contains a layer of plastic based on PTFE. This contains very many tiny holes called pores. There are around 14 million pores per square millimetre. Each one is too small for water droplets to pass through, but big enough to let water molecules from sweat go through. This makes a 'breathable' fabric which can also be combined with insulation such as Thinsulate® to make outdoor clothing that keeps you dry and warm.

Gore-Tex® fabric is a sandwich of materials

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