High temperature tubing with maximum continuous use temperature limited to 260° C

Despite its advantages, the tubing in PTFE requires some expertise for implementation. Its high temperature (~350 °C) requires the use of an oven or an oven. hot air gun Industrial. We need to heat the tubing uniformly so that it retracts correctly without degradation. For small objects, professionals often prefer oven (ventilated air oven) to ensure a well distributed heating. On longer cables or in situ, a hot air torch with diffuse nozzle can be used, by moving the heat source along the tubing. This step is more demanding than with standard sheaths (which shrink from 120 °C), but the game is worth it for uses that require PTFE performance.

For example, in the case of the thermocouple of a laboratory furnace which must withstand 250°C in continuous operation: a heat shrinkable tubing PTFE will be one of the only viable options to isolate wires from this sensor. The technician wraps it up. tubing around the two conductors twisted along the desired length, then place the whole in an adjacent oven carried to ~350 °C for a few minutes. The tubing then retracts evenly around the wires, forming an insulating pipe Waterproof. Once cooled, this coating will remain rigid and intact even when the main sensor rises to 250 °C in the process furnace. In addition, none of the gases or vapours that may be present in the enclosure (e.g. heated solvents) may alter the tubingor adsorb.

Another concrete example is the protection of temperature sensors intended to be immersed in corrosive baths at high temperatures. Chemical industries use PTFE sheaths to wrap PT100 or thermocouple probes immersed in hot sulphuric acid, boiling concentrated soda, etc. Again, neither heat nor aggressive product will come to the end of Teflon, guaranteeing the longevity of the probe and the insulation of its cable. This robustness reduces maintenance costs and avoids process shutdowns due to faulty sensors.