PTFE Granular Resin vs PTFE Fine Powder: What's the Difference?

One of the most common questions from PTFE buyers: what is actually the difference between PTFE granular resin and PTFE fine powder?

The short answer: chemically they are both 100% PTFE. The difference is how they are processed — and that dictates completely different end products.

PTFE Granular Resin — the molding route

Granular resin (molding powder) is processed by compression molding and sintering:

1. Powder is pressed into a preform at 15–50 MPa
2. The preform is sintered at ~380 °C
3. The billet is machined or skived into finished parts

Typical products:

• Rods, sheets and tubes
• Gaskets and sealing rings
• Valve seats and pump parts
• Bushings and wear components

If the part is solid, thick or machined, it comes from granular resin.

PTFE Fine Powder — the paste extrusion route

Fine powder (paste-extrusion grade) is processed very differently: it is mixed with a hydrocarbon lubricant, preformed, then extruded at high reduction ratios. The emulsion-polymerized particles fibrillate under shear, forming a strong network — before sintering, the lubricant is removed and the part is sintered or left unsintered.

Typical products:

• PTFE thread seal tape
• Thin-wall tubing
• Skived film and tapes
• Wire insulation for coaxial cable

If the part is thin-walled, flexible or continuous in length, it comes from fine powder.

The key insight

The difference is not the chemical structure — it is the processing technology.

	Granular resin	Fine powder
Polymerization	Suspension	Emulsion (dispersion)
Processing	Compression molding + sintering	Paste extrusion
Product form	Solid, machined parts	Thin-walled, flexible, continuous
Typical items	Rods, gaskets, valve seats	Tape, tubing, film

Choosing the wrong one is an expensive mistake: fine powder can cost several times more per kilogram, and granular resin simply cannot be paste-extruded.

How this affects sourcing

Because the two routes need different polymer structures, a supplier’s granular resin and fine powder are effectively two separate product lines with different quality controls. When you request a quote, specify not just “PTFE” but the processing route and end product — a serious supplier will ask for this anyway.

Haiflon^® supplies both lines: PTFE granular resins (fine-cut, free-flow, pre-sintered, compounds) and PTFE fine powder for paste extrusion. Not sure which your process needs? Send us the end product and we will confirm within one business day.