Alternative Design Of PTFE Liner Represents An Improvement In Hose Construction

By Rod Anderson, Managing Director, Aflex Hose Ltd.

As seen in The Pharmaceutical Solutions Update, 2008 Fall Edition

PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) was discovered in 1938 and became commercially available in 1950. PTFE-lined flexible hose products were first introduced in 1955, mainly for military applications in the United States. It was soon realized, however, that two of the primary properties of this remarkable plastic made it particularly ideal for use in pharmaceutical and chemical plants as a lining material for components containing process fluids — the excellent chemical resistance and ease of cleaning are quite simply in a different league than those of the other materials that previously had been used.

Many pipes, vessels, pumps, valves, and other process fluid components have consequently been lined with PTFE and other fluoroplastics ever since, and various designs of PTFElined hoses have been developed to provide a flexible conduit for connecting between components.