PTFE Fittings

The material know as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) was accidentally invented in 1938 and became available on a commercial basis in 1950. PTFE-lined flexible hose products were first introduced in the mid 1950's, mainly for military applications in the United States. It was soon realized that two of the primary properties of this remarkable plastic made it particularly ideal for use in pharmaceutical and chemical industries.. The excellent chemical resistance and ease of cleaning are quite simply in a different league to those materials that previously had been used. The well known 'non-stick' properties of PTFE has seen the material put to use in a wide range of applications.

PTFE-lined hose assemblies include an inner PTFE liner tube with outer reinforcement and protection layers, including stainless steel wire or textile braids, steel helix wires, and rubber layers and covers in various combinations.

It performs well over a wide temperature range (from -70 C up to +260 C) dependent upon the outer braid being used and the working pressure applied.

Smoothbore PTFE hose has excellent dynamic flex life, and performs well at high pressure in both flexing and vibration applications. The PTFE material is effectively self cleaning as almost nothing sticks to it. The risk of bacterial growth, or contamination is greatly reduced as a result.

These hoses can be made into assemblies that are available with 'integral PTFE-lined' end fittings attached, in which the thick-wall PTFE liner is passed through the bore of the end fittings then flared out to form the sealing face. This protects the end fitting material from contact with the process fluid and ensures clean, restriction-free flow of the process fluid through the end fitting.