Teflon Tubing: What You Need To Know

By Author: Dips Dixon
Total Articles: 74
Comment this article

Do you know why few renowned politicians earned ‘Teflon’ tag before their name? It’s because Teflon is highly non-sticky and non-reactive compound. It’s a brand name to a group of fluoropolymer resins belonging to DuPont. Most historic use of Teflon is its application in Manhattan project.

Chemical nature of Teflon

As we know, it’s just a name to a group of fluoropolymer resins like,

1. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
2. Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP)
3. Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)

However, PTFE is the original resin that was trademarked. Later, other resins were developed for specific uses.

What makes Teflon tubing special?

1. It is least corrosive when compared to other materials used in making tubes. That makes Teflon the best candidate for tubing applications where there is corrosion and contamination risk. Nuclear reactors, cooking utensils, medical machineries are few of the most common uses.

2. Fluoropolymer resins can withstand extreme weather condition. Many of those polymers have workable temperature from -67°C to 500°C and suffer no mechanical ...
... change through out the range. So, you can confidently use Teflon tubing in case of extreme temperature variation.

3. Teflon compounds are almost chemically inert. Besides, its lubricious characteristic and very low friction coefficient makes Teflon best tubing material for difficult and highly frictional environment.

4. These resins also have very high tensile strength. So, you can be sure regarding almost no mechanical change against heavy stress. Just for example, tensile strength of PTFE is between 2500 to 4000 PSI and that of FEP is 3500 PSI.

Individual characteristics of different Teflon resins

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

1. Can resist temperature between -200°C to 260°C.
2. Extremely lubricious with friction coefficient of 0.1.
3. It melts at temperature of 342°C but does not turn into liquid state.
4. High electrical resistance with low dielectric loss.

Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP)

1. It melts at lower temperature than PTFE at 265°C.
2. It also has lower processing temperature of 360°C.
3. Service temperature between - 250°C to 206°C.
4. It has better translucence compared to PTFE.

Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)

1. Tensile strength is within the range of 2100 to 3050 PSI.
2. It melts between 253°C to 282°C.
3. Workable temperature range is -250°C to 206°C.
4. Processing temperature is around 380°C.
5. Coefficient of friction is 0.27.

Today most common uses of Teflon tubing are in,

1. Automotive industry for high temperature fluid transfer.
2. Electrical industry for insulation of heavy duty and high voltage cables
3. Chemical industry and labs as chemical container and glass-substitute.
4. Medical industry as catheter for its lubricious nature.

So, use Teflon tubing for fail-safe extrusion and insulation.