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Most gamers have heard of the acronym PTFE when referring to mouse feet. The PTFE foot pad has the lowest friction resistance, allowing the gaming mouse to slide smoothly on various surfaces. What may not be known is that polytetrafluoroethylene is a common material used in many household and industrial applications.

PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a polymer composed of carbon and fluorine. In 1938, a DuPont employee named Roy J. Plunkett discovered it by accident while conducting an experiment to develop a new refrigerant. During the experiment, tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) gas escaped from the bottle he used, but there was still some extra weight in the bottle. When he opened the bottle to search for the source of the extra weight, he found a slippery white substance. The substance is polytetrafluoroethylene, which has been found to have properties such as heat resistance and chemical resistance. Another main feature is its low coefficient of friction, making it ideal for a wide range of applications. PTFE was registered as a Teflon trademark in 1945 and is popular all over the world.

Due to the many advantageous properties of PTFE, it is used in many different industries and many daily products. One of the most common uses of PTFE is to coat non-stick cookware. The PTFE coating ensures that food does not stick to pots and pans during cooking. Due to its electrical insulation, PTFE is also used to coat cables and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Heat resistance also means that it is very suitable for making gaskets and threaded sealing tapes for pipes. Another use of PTFE is to make corrosion-resistant containers and pipes. Polytetrafluoroethylene can also be used as a lubricant to reduce friction in machinery, and can coat tools and auto parts.

The mouse foot, also called the mouse wheel, is located at the bottom of the mouse and is in contact with the desktop or mouse pad. Since game players rely on fast movement when playing games, the mouse foot must provide as little resistance as possible and slide smoothly on most surfaces. 

The best mouse feet use original grade PTFE, because it has no additives and has the least friction. Due to the lack of dyes and other additives, the original PTFE mouse feet, like Hyperglides, are always white.

In addition to the material, the shape of the mouse foot also affects the performance of the game. A thicker mouse foot lasts longer, but if the mouse is lifted low and cannot be adjusted, it will interfere with tracking. On the other hand, thinner mouse feet may not last long, but they can be compatible with more mice. 

Another factor to consider when choosing a PTFE mouse foot is the edge. Compared to alternatives with straight edges, mouse feet with rounded edges provide smoother tracking and less resistance. 

Most mouse feet are designed for specific models of gaming mice. Companies such as Hyperglide and Corepad produce PTFE mouse feet for most major brands, including Logitech, Razer, SteelSeries and Corsair.