Altec’s Guide to Tubing Materials and Their Applications

What is Tubing and Why is it Important?

Tubing plays a crucial role across multiple industries, providing safe and efficient fluid transferring solutions. Most people do not realise how far reaching the use of plastic and rubber tubing is. Whether used in pharmaceutical and biomedical settings, R&D labs in hospitals, food and beverage dispensing, industrial processes, or even Formula 1 racing, choosing the right tubing material is essential. The correct tubing prevents contamination, ensures durability, and enhances performance. In this guide, we explore the most popular tubing materials and their unique properties to help you make an informed decision.

Tubing applications go beyond traditional industrial and medical users. At Altec, we’ve supplied tubing for some truly unique purposes, from multi-coloured beads to silicone tubing in modern art installations. We’ve even had customers purchase PVC tubing to use as a trapeze rope! The versatility of tubing is endless, making it a valuable component across a variety of sectors.

Popular Tubing Materials and Their Properties

Silicone Tubing

Best for: Medical, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, and high-temperature applications.

Silicone tubing is widely used due to its excellent thermal resistance, flexibility, and durability. With a broad temperature range of -55°C to 200+°C, it does not support microbiological growth, making it ideal for sterile environments.

• High Strength Silicone: Best suited for peristaltic pumps, offering superior elasticity and longer tube life.
• General Purpose Silicone: A cost-effective alternative for applications where high precision is not required.

PVC Tubing

Best for: Industrial, food & beverage, and low-pressure fluid transfer.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) tubing is a budget-friendly option that offers flexibility and chemical resistance. It is available in two grades:

• Industrial Grade PVC: Ideal for low-pressure liquid and gas conveyance, including food-related applications.
• Laboratory Grade PVC: A softer, more precise opting that meets medical and food compliance standards.

Santoprene Tubing

Best for: Peristaltic pumps, aggressive chemical handling, and industrial use.

Santoprene is a highly durable and flexible material with exceptional abrasion and wear resistance. It withstands extreme weather conditions and chemical exposure, making it an excellent choice for peristaltic pump applications.

• Industrial Grade Santoprene: Recommended for use in settings where exposure to harsh chemicals is common.

PTFE Tubing

Best for: Chemical processing, medical labs, life sciences, and automotive industries.

PTFE tubing is known for its outstanding chemical resistance, non-stick properties, and high-temperature tolerance (-200°C to 260°C). It is unaffected by UV, oxygen, and ozone exposure, ensuring that it lasts and performs in demanding environments.

• Rigid structure (55 Shore D hardness) makes it an excellent option for applications requiring minimal flexibility.

PTFE tubing is even used in Formula 1 racing, where precision and durability are critical for high-performance applications.

Viton Tubing

Best for: High-temperature and aggressive chemical applications.

Viton tubing offers a unique combination of flexibility, heat resistance, and chemical resilience. Available in both industrial and peristaltic grades, it is commonly used for pumping aggressive chemicals at elevated temperatures.

How to Choose the Right Tubing Material

Selecting the correct tubing depends on several factors:

• Application requirements - Does it need to handle high temperatures or aggressive chemicals?
• Flexibility and durability - Will it be used in dynamic environments like peristaltic pumps?
• Compliance standards - Does it need to be food safe, medical grade, or chemical resistant?

Find the Perfect Tubing Solution

No matter your industry, selecting the right tubing is important for efficiency, safety, and performance. At Altec, we supply a wide range of high-quality tubing materials, including silicon, PVC, Santoprene, PTFE, and Viton, to meet diverse application needs.

We provide tubing to a variety of sectors, including food and beverage manufacturing, where thousands of meters of tubing are used in dispensers. Our customers in the agricultural sector use our tubing in feed dispensing systems for pheasant and poultry farming, as well as in bird leg band manufacturing with UPVC profiles.

Explore our full range of tubing options today at Altec Shop or contact our team for expert advice on selecting the perfect tubing for your needs.