Because of its high viscosity in melted state, PTFE powder is typically sintered first as large billet, from which parts are machined such as films, seals, etc. In large industrial sinter billets that can reach beyond 1-2 meters in size, PTFE's low thermal conductivity and large crystallization volume change could introduce significant residual stress during cool down from sinter temperature, resulting in billet cracking and difficulties in the subsequent machining step. FEA models were developed to predict the residual stress in the billet for a given temperature profile.
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