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No, Elixir strings are coated with PTFE, not PFAS. These are two entirely different substances. PTFE is a polymer, often referred to by its most well-known br
by nate_meurer 6y ago
No, Elixir strings are coated with PTFE, not PFAS. These are two entirely different substances.
PTFE is a polymer, often referred to by its most well-known brand name Teflon. Over decades of use, there is zero evidence of any health effects whatsoever from PTFE, the only exception being when it's heated to around 500 deg F. In everyday use it is completely inert and harmless.
PFAS is a generic term describing a family of fluorinated chemicals. Evidence is piling up that many of these have serious and long-lasting health effects. Some PFAS chemicals are used as the monomers for making PTFE, but once the PTFE is made, the constituent monomers cannot be released except by extreme heat.
All that to say, your coated guitar strings are completely safe. Certainly safer than the teflon-coated pans I cook on every day.
- brnt 6y agoNot on your guitar obviously, but on the furnace or in the oven, 500 F or 260 C isn't very unusual.
- nate_meurer 6y agoVery true. It's alarmingly easy to overheat a nonstick pan.
- blockmeifyoucan 6y agoI bought a forged iron pan years ago because i got tired oft buying new teflon pans every x months. It's brilliant! Used only for frying (no tomato sauces etc) and with high initial heat it eventually non-sticks better than teflon and e.g. pancakes turn out perfect.
- Ductapemaster 6y agoYeah I dumped my Teflon cookware years ago, with the exception of one nice nonstick baking sheet I have. Cast iron requires a bit of care but it’s really not that hard. Plus if you screw it up, just strip it down and start over! For acidic foods I use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven, or a SS sauce pot.