Technical Information

Choice, advantages, range of applications

What you should know about the choice of tubing

Incorrectly chosen tubing can endanger the user. Here you can find the most important features in tabular form. The number of “+”-signs stands for the degree of performance of the feature.

Our tip: PTFEGlossaryPTFEPolytetrafluoroethylene tubing is ideal for the “normal” work in laboratories.

If you need tubing which is absolutely gastight even in limit range of pressure and temperature, you should choose PFAGlossaryPFA Perfluoroalkoxy or FEPGlossaryFEPTetraflouroethylene-Perflouropropylene. PFAGlossaryPFA Perfluoroalkoxy only has advantages at temperatures of more than +205°C, but is more expensive than FEPGlossaryFEPTetraflouroethylene-Perflouropropylene tubing.

BOLA Tubing offers many advantages:

» Short minimum lengths

Depending on the tubing dimensions – for details please look at our price-list. Minimum lengths are unfortunately necessary for granting a low price per metre.

» No specification of fixed rolls – available per metre

Free choice of requested length between minimum length and maximum production length

» Longer lengths in one piece possible

For tubing up to O.D. 10 mm, quantities of up to 100 metres in one length are possible without extra charge; quantities of more than 100 metres in one length are only available in particular cases – please ask us.

» Whenever possible, your ordered quantity is supplied in one length

If our inventory or the ordered quantity does not allow another possibility, the tubing is supplied in partial lengths without consultation.
Example: 90 m, 57 m, 23 m

» Good to handle

Tubing up to an O.D. of 3 mm and with a minimum length of 30 m is supplied on reels. This prevents bends and twists and makes storage and rolling up easier.

» Tailored rolls/reels are available

Several rolls with the same lengths are available at low extra charges, e.g. 5 rolls of 40 metres or 11 rolls of 22 metres.

» Excellent quality at fair prices

Stricter tolerances than the general industrial standard GKV – perfect interaction with our BOLA Fittings and BOLA Stopcocks.

Typical range of applications for tubing made of fluoroplasticsGlossaryfluoroplasticsbelong to the group of thermoplastics. (PTFEGlossaryPTFEPolytetrafluoroethylene , PFAGlossaryPFA Perfluoroalkoxy ,FEPGlossaryFEPTetraflouroethylene-Perflouropropylene)

For transport of aggressive products such as acids, lyes, gases and solvents
For analysis- or measuring devices of chromatography and laboratory
As product lines in miniplant systems
As dosing lines for reaction vessels
In liquid chromatography; high-purity tubing without additives (e.g. softeners) which could destroy analysis
As covering of mechanically operated parts, e.g. bowden wires (due to the low coefficient of friction)
As covering of sensors in chemical plants
For transport of lacquers, oils, resins and food products
As covering of heating elements in galvanic stations and microelectronics
Antistatic tubing in explosive applications

Choice of wall thickness

When choosing the wall thickness, a couple of issues have to be considered:

What max. pressure » will be applied? In the charts on page 226 the minimum wall thickness can easily be found.
To which temperatures will the tubing be exposed? The maximum pressure has to be reduced by the stated factors.
Shall the tubing be applied under vacuum? Then the wall thickness has to be sufficient (rule of thumb)

Fitting and tubing have to fit

Practice has proved that tubing varies in diameter. We therefore recommend to check before assembly whether the tubing outer diameter corresponds to the nominal size (e. g. Ø 6 mm). The values in the right chart will be helpful.
The surface of PTFEGlossaryPTFEPolytetrafluoroethylene tubing can be damaged if V-rings are inserted by force and result in leakage.