Teflon® Cladding

As environmental regulations continue to restrict the use of seal cleaners and lubricants, more applications are using cladding as a way to provide abrasion resistance and help seal hydro gates. Not sure which cladding material is best for your application? No problem. We've done business with nearly every major hydro owner in North America, and we've provided seals to large and small projects around the globe. Our hydro experts will work with you to create the best seal for your application.

Available in 1/16" and 1/32" thicknesses, Teflon® is the most commonly used cladding. The seal provides its own self lubrication Teflon surface, allowing the seal to maintain flexibility and be environmentally safe. Since cladding is embedded into the profile — and only available in molded profiles — adding cladding to a seal will not change the size of the profile.

It is recommended that a minimum of 135° cladding coverage be applied to the sealing face of bulb seals. Contact us at 800.423.6644 for cladding coverage for other profiles.

NOTE: When using cladding, seals must be handled in a way that prevents sharp bends from being created. Follow proper handling and installation procedures to ensure the best protection from damage.


Teflon® Cladding Testing

A Teflon (flourocarbon), abrasion resistant cover is bonded to the sealing surface through the molding process. The sealing surface is kept clean and free of bonding agents and rubber, with the following minimum requirements:

  • 2000 PSI Tensile Strength
  • 250% Elongation

Testing of the bond strength between the Teflon® and the rubber is performed per ASTM D413-39 standards. Samples cut from the molded lengths and corners where masking has been applied to prevent bonding are trimmed to 1" wide. They are then tested with a tension at approximately 90° to the rubber by either the machine method at 2"/min or deadweight method at 30 PIW without separation.


Teflon® is a registered trademarks of DuPont Performance Elastomers.