Industries and Uses for PTFE Tubing

PTFE is now one of the most popular kinds of industrial coating in the world, mainly because it has innumerable applications. Get a quick lowdown on PTFE, its applications, history, and the development of PTFE. 

 History of PTFE Hose and PTFE Pipes

• Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, was first created by Dr. Roy Plunkett.
• Like all great discoveries, Dr. Plunkett bumped into it when he was experimenting with some other testing materials which were refrigerants or so he thought.
• Interestingly, all he was doing was examining frozen and compressed tetrafluoroethylene when he came across this versatile material. He was surprised to see the polymerized material turning into a wax-like solid material. The new material was called “Polytetrafluoroethylene.”
• While he was making this discovery, Dr. Plunkett was working for DuPont and immediately after they turned this material into blocks.
• The blocks were coerced into varied shapes. Manufacturers all over the world today rely on this product and use it for producing different kinds of products. 

Common Applications of PTFE

PTFE has loads of uses. The common applications of PTFE can be used in a number of industries and they are following, 

·         Pharmaceuticals – PTFE coatings are an integral part of pharmaceutical industries because they provide over braid seals and strength which helps in a self-cleaning process.  If the pharmaceutical industry has elevated standards for all materials used within it, PTFE, caters admirably to all the set standards.

·         Cryogenic – The cryogenic industry has great use for PTFE too, mainly because it can withstand extremely high temperatures and low temperatures too. The material is perfectly suited for usage in fuel lines,  piston rings, hydraulic hoses, or liquid air systems.

·         Automotive – In the automotive industry the air brake systems need over-braided hoses and for that PTFE caters to these requirements too.

When the material is used on the outside edge of air compressors PTFE can fill in, as it has the power to resist high temperatures.

 Also, since PTFE can do away by removing carbon particles, it becomes an integral part of all types of automotive applications.

 

·         Aerospace industry – PTFE is part of the aerospace industry as it is part of different components such as fuel hoses, tubing hoses, and hydraulic hoses. 

PTFE is often braided with Kevlar for extra protection.

Also, PTFE is used for applications that need the tempering of heat in components such as oil, fuel, water, and alcohol. In the aerospace industries, it is the pneumatic and hydraulic systems, that use PTFE.

·         Chemical industry – In the chemical industry, there is the usage of some highly reactive chemicals that react with most materials, for transfer of such chemicals you’ll find that PTFE is used for things like product interchange. Refrigeration systems and steam lines also contain PTFE. It is a great substitute for materials such as corrugated, stainless steel hoses and so on.

PTFEtubes and PTFEhoses are usually regarded as a versatile product, one that caters to the needs of most industries, reason enough for you to use it for various purposes.

PTFE Production, Price and Market Demand in India

In today’s highly competitive world there are companies that are moving into higher value-added chemicals and materials. Further, environmental regulations are increasing the stringent rules as governments at the national, state and local levels are requiring that industries control pollution by limiting emissions. Thus there is a quest to limit those wastes and emissions. In this competitive environment, the filter end user, filtration design engineer or filter end user will require material to increase the performance and durability. This shows that the polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE tube is well suited to cater to the multitude of these demands and help the industry to meet the many environmental obligations.

In 2018, the demand for PTFE in India has risen and it is standing at approximately 5 KT and is expected to see a healthy growth rate during the forecast period.

The chief application of PTFE is in automotive and transportation sector and it is used in manufacturing of plain bearings, seals, gears, side plates, gaskets, bushings etc., where it outperforms nylon. The demand for PTFE used in the electrical and electronic industry is expected to rise more because of its excellent dielectric properties. PTFE film is used to produce substances such as carbon fiber composite which is especially used in the aerospace industry.

The PTFE is utilised to prevent the built-in part from sticking with other non-production material and acts as an obstacle to the bagging material in carbon-fiber composites. PTFE has the small pore structures that can make the fabric material breathable and waterproof. Furthermore, PTFE has other properties such as it is chemically and electrically resistant and hence can be easily  used in coatings, and due to its high viscosity, it can be used in missiles and aircraft as well. Furthermore, PTFE is an integral part of electricals and electronics industry owing to its easy flexibility and non-sticking properties.

PTFE OVERVIEW

PTFE was discovered by Dr. Roy Plunkett at DuPont in 1938. Earlier it was limited to wartime applications until after World War II when it was first introduced under with the trademark Teflon. Today, there are a number of suppliers which offers 60,000 tons/year. Where the large fluorine atoms form a sheath around the carbon backbone, providing it from attack from organic, acid, or base solvent, except at elevated temperatures. This sheath also imparts low surface energy and providing a very low coefficient of friction (< 0.1) and nonstick properties. This low surface energy renders PTFE hose  both hydrophobic and oleophobic, so neither the aqueous nor oily materials adhere to it. Thus, it is really easy to mechanically remove any dust or filter cake which gathers on the sur face.

PTFE monofilament or thread is fit for filter manufacture either as:

Talking about a sewing thread specific for sewing filter bags of PTFE or made for high-performance fibers that are used in hot gas filtration, such as baghouse filters found in the stacks of coal-fired boilers, cement plants and so on.

As a woven scrim for needle punching PTFE or other high-performance fibers to form the fabrics that are utilized in baghouse or other filter formats.

A filament for wound-core filters is used for corrosive liquid filtration applications.

All of these applications tap onto the superior chemical resistance and offers an excellent heat resistance of PTFE tubes.