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About Plastic Tubing
Plastic tubing is a general term for tubing used to
conduct fluids or gases. Numerous types of plastic compounds are available
to plastic tubing manufacturers. When choosing the right type of plastic
tubing for the application, it is imperative to consider the diameter
(i.e. is it large enough to hold the required flow volume) and its ability
to withstand the internal pressure. Other important performance considerations
include minimum bend radius and temperature range. Sizes of tubes are
designated by a dash system in which the numerator (top number of a fraction)
is given in 16ths of an inch (e.g. 6 tubing has a 6/16-in. OD). Plastic
tubes and PVC tubing may be colored or clear, flexible or rigid and thick
or thin, all depending on the application.
Plastic tubing manufacturers provide supply for almost every area of
life. Applications vary widely from beverage tubing to aerospace, from
bird feeder tubing to medical or pharmaceutical, also, filtration, refrigerant,
high viscosity, irrigation, oil or fuel, pneumatic or compressed air
and even golf tubes. Available compounds vary almost as much as the applications.
Common materials are as follows: nylon, polyethylene, polyurethane, urethane,
latex, silicone, polyolefin, polypropylene (PP), PVC, CPVC, vinyl and
many more. Plastic tubing manufacturers can make their products with
various characteristics, including coiled, corrugated (or convoluted),
anti-static, reinforced, spark resistant, explosion proof, multi-element
and multi-layered.
Plastic tubes and PVC tubing used for industrial purposes are generally
smaller and more flexible than hoses or pipes. Materials for flexible
tubing include polyurethane, santoprene, flexible vinyl (FPVC), low density
and linear density polyethylene (LDPE and LLDPE), flexible nylon 11 and
nylon 12. Some applications require rigid tubing. In these situations,
the following materials are commonly used: polycarbonate, rigid vinyl
(RPVC), ABS, high impact polystyrene HIPS, butyrate, propionate and PETG.
Semi-rigid materials include polypropylene and high density polyethylene
(HDPE).
Although each type of plastic tubing has too many characteristics to
provide exhaustive comparisons in this small space, some differences
are as follows. Latex tubing has better elasticity, flexibility and gripping
power than silicone, though silicone has a better deterioration rate.
Nylon tubing is preferred for pneumatic lines and low-pressure lines
and has good impact and abrasions resistance, but some types of nylon
can be damaged by moisture. Polyethylene tubing can be used for liquids
and gas lines at temperatures ranging from -60° to 160°F (-51° to
71°C). Polyurethane tubing provides resistance to chemicals but has
low temperature flexibility, while polyolefin is highly flame retardant
and has a wide temperature range. PVC tubing can also be used for pneumatic
lines at pressures reaching 125 psi with continuous temperatures reaching
100°F/38°C.
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Types of Plastic Tubing
- is a glassy thermoplastic that
will not age, is not affected by sunlight, stays stable under the variable
conditions of heat, cold, moisture, etc., will not warp, crack, craze
or corrode, is half the weight of comparable glass and has good shatter
resistance and durability.
- is similar to PVC tubing
but handles corrosive water at temperatures above the limits of other
vinyl plastics, has excellent chemical and fire resistance characteristics
and high impact and tensile strength and is crush resistant and nontoxic.
- has good abrasion resistance, exceptional cut-through
characteristics and will not fray at the ends. It is widely utilized
in applications where temperatures reach up to 265¼F/130¼C at which
other kinds of tubing would knot, end or torque.
- fits around an object and provides it with
insulation and protection. Once heated the tubing shrinks and conforms
to the
object.
- returns to its original shape after stretching, remains
flexible in sub-zero temperatures and has immense holding strength.
- is tubing used for medical
purposes such as IV’s,
catheters, coating on some surgical tools and more.
- is strong and resists abrasion. This tubing is typically
used for high temperature or high pressure needs.
- are hollow cylinders used to transport fluids or gases.
- is excellent for harsh environmental applications,
because it has high tensile strength, good chemical resistance, good
optical clarity, high impact strength, good dimensional stability and
rigidity and is self-extinguishing.
- is unaffected by water and many chemicals
because of its tough and waxy texture.
- is clear plastic tubing that has good optical
clarity and strength. This tubing is sensitive to some chemicals and
should not be used in high temperatures or humidity.
- is corrosion
resistant, flexible and flame retardant, does not shrink in
heat and has excellent electrical and physical performance.
- is a rubber-like
thermoset material that is used in
the medical field for applications such as medical devices, pharmaceutical
processing, laboratory, veterinary, pharmaceutical drug delivery systems
and cardio pacemaking leads, because it meets the industry’s
requirements of cleanliness and non-toxicity. It is also resistant
to extreme temperatures, generally exhibits inertness toward U.V. radiation
and ozone and is not altered by effects of weather.
- is plastic tubing that is used for IVs, catheters, and other medical purposes.
- is a clear, strong, lightweight and flexible tubing
that has thousands of applications in the home, office, factory and
classrooms,
because it is chemically resistant to alkalis, alcohol, aliphate,
hydrocarbons, oils and some acids, retains transparency, stands up
to rough handling
and is odorless, tasteless and nontoxic. It is used to transport
liquids, gases and some solids.
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