Bending radius of PTFE, PFA and FEP tubing

During the assembly of devices with fluoroplastic tubing we are often confronted with the problem of how to create the smallest bending radius when the space is limited. To avoid buckling of the tubing with all its negative aspects, the following graph will be helpful to determine the smallest possible bending radius.

Take the outer diameter indicated on the horizontal axis, then follow the line upwards until it crosses with the appropriate wall thickness. From this intersection, follow the line to the left until it reaches the vertical axis which shows the minimum bending radius.

Example: A PTFE tubing with outer diameter 10 mm and a wall thickness of 2 mm has a minimum bending radius of 100 mm.