Analysis of the Application of Teflon Pipes in the Chemical Industry
What is Teflon tube?
Teflon pipe, also known as Teflon pipe or non stick coating pipe, is a polymer material pipeline with excellent properties such as high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, non scaling, and low friction coefficient. Due to its unique performance and wide range of applications, PTFE pipes have become a very important chemical material worldwide today.
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Types of PTFE pipes
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) pipe:
PTFE is the most well-known high-temperature resistant fluoroplastic, with a long-term use temperature range of -80 ° C to+260 ° C, and short-term temperature resistance even exceeding 300 ° C. PTFE pipes have excellent chemical stability, almost do not react with all chemicals, and have extremely low friction coefficients and good electrical insulation properties.
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) pipe:
The temperature resistance upper limit of PVDF pipes is usually+150 ° C, which has good chemical resistance, mechanical strength, wear resistance, and weather resistance, especially excellent resistance to highly corrosive media such as chlorides and fluorides.
Perfluoroethylene propylene (FEP) tubing:
The temperature resistance range of FEP tube is generally -80 ° C to+200 ° C. Its chemical stability, electrical insulation, and non adhesiveness are comparable to PTFE, but its melt flowability is better, making it more suitable for thermoplastic processing and welding.
Tetrafluoroethylene perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA) tube:
The temperature resistance range of PFA tube is similar to that of PTFE, from -200 ° C to+260 ° C. It has extremely high chemical stability, electrical insulation, and non adhesiveness, and has better thermoplastic processing performance and higher continuous use temperature than PTFE.
Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE) pipe:
ETFE tubes have high heat resistance (long-term use temperature of about+150 ° C) and good mechanical strength. They have high transparency, strong UV resistance, and good self-cleaning properties.
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Excellent characteristics of PTFE pipes
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High temperature resistance: Long term working temperature can reach 260 ℃, and short-term use temperature can even be higher, suitable for transporting fluids or gases in extreme high temperature environments.
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Excellent anti adhesion: The inner wall of the pipe is not easily adhered to colloids and chemicals, and some pipes have high transparency, making it easy to observe the internal fluid conditions.
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Low friction coefficient: The friction coefficient is generally only 0.04, making it an excellent self-lubricating material, and the friction coefficient does not change with temperature.
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Excellent electrical insulation performance: PTFE is a highly non-polar material with good dielectric properties, extremely high resistance, and a dielectric constant of around 2.0, which is the smallest among all electrical insulation materials.
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Moderate mechanical strength: Although pure PTFE material has relatively low mechanical strength, its mechanical properties can be significantly improved by adding fillers or making composite structures.
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Strong chemical stability: able to withstand all strong acids, including aqua regia, hydrofluoric acid, concentrated hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, fuming sulfuric acid, organic acids, strong bases, strong oxidants, reducing agents, and various organic solvents. Very suitable for feeding high-purity chemicals.
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The specific application of PTFE pipes in the chemical industry
Transportation of corrosive chemicals:
In chemical plants, the transportation of corrosive liquids such as acids, bases, salt solutions, solvents, and organic compounds is common. High temperature resistant PTFE pipes, with their inertness to almost all chemicals, can effectively resist the erosion of these media, ensuring long-term stable operation of pipelines and reducing leakage, pollution, and equipment damage caused by corrosion.
Food processing application:
Due to its non stick properties, iron dragon tubes can be used to manufacture various food processing equipment and pipelines, such as baking pans, grills, mixers, etc. This not only helps improve the efficiency of food processing, but also avoids contamination of food during the processing. In addition, PTFE tubes can also be used to transport liquid foods such as milk and juice, ensuring that they are not contaminated by bacteria during transportation.
Electronic device production:
Due to its excellent electrical insulation performance and low friction coefficient, PTFE pipes can be used to manufacture various cables and wire harnesses, such as internal circuits and external protective covers for electronic devices. In addition, PTFE tubes can also be used to manufacture casings and seals for various electronic components, such as sealing rings and valves for household appliances such as rice cookers and microwave ovens.
High temperature reaction material processing:
Some chemical reaction processes involve the transportation of high-temperature materials, such as pyrolysis, distillation, crystallization, and other unit operations. High temperature resistant PTFE pipes can maintain stable performance in environments up to 260 ℃, and have higher short-term temperature resistance, making them suitable for transporting such high-temperature fluids and preventing softening, deformation, or performance degradation of pipelines due to high temperatures.
Heat exchanger and heating/cooling system:
In chemical equipment, such as heat exchangers, heating sleeves, cooling water pipes, etc., PTFE pipes are often used as inner lining pipes or directly as heat exchange tube bundles due to their excellent heat resistance and resistance to thermal shock. They effectively isolate high or low temperature media from direct contact with the equipment body, prevent corrosion, and improve thermal efficiency. For example, our PFA heat exchanger tubes can be used for heat exchangers. As shown in the figure below.
Vacuum system and seals:
Vacuum pumps, vacuum pipelines, valve seals, etc. in chemical equipment are often made of high-temperature resistant PTFE materials. Due to their low gas release rate, chemical corrosion resistance, and high temperature stability, they can ensure the sealing performance and operational reliability of the vacuum system.
Vacuum system and seals:
Due to its corrosion resistance and non-toxic properties, iron dragon pipes can be used to transport various drugs and pharmaceutical intermediates. In addition, PTFE tubing can also be used to manufacture various medical devices such as medication bottles and infusion sets to ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs during delivery.
Internal coating and lining of chemical equipment:
In large chemical equipment such as reactors, storage tanks, and towers, PTFE pipes are sometimes used as lining to form a corrosion-resistant protective layer, preventing the main body of the equipment from being damaged by corrosive media and extending its service life.
Laboratory and analytical instruments:
When conducting research and analysis in chemical laboratories, high-temperature resistant PTFE pipes are used as reagent delivery pipelines or instrument connection pipes to ensure the accuracy of chemical reactions and the reliability of experimental data.
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Precautions for daily use of PTFE pipes
1. Avoid mechanical and electrical moisture. When storing PTFE pipes outdoors, rainproof measures should be taken. During storage and handling, precautions should be taken to prevent the mesh belt from being bumped or damaged, and to keep the surface of the mesh belt clean.
2. The use of PTFE tube conveyor belts should be kept clean regularly. There should be no debris at the air inlet and outlet. Timely remove dust and other debris from the mesh belt and pipeline, and maintain sufficient power supply facilities.
3. According to usage, PTFE pipes should be regularly replenished or replaced with lubricating grease (mechanical and electrical sealed bearings do not need to replace lubricating grease during their service life) to ensure good lubrication of the belt during the meshing operation. Close the PTFE tube and electromechanical bearings, and fill 2/3 of the inner and outer rings of the bearings with lithium based grease. To ensure safety, polytetrafluoroethylene film has the characteristics of low temperature resistance, low friction coefficient, and can be used for lubrication, making it an ideal coating for easy to clean inner layers.
Teflon pipes, as a high-performance polymer material pipeline, have a wide range of applications in various fields. With the development of scientific technology and the continuous improvement of people's requirements for product quality, the application prospects of PTFE pipes will be even broader in the future.
