Fillers
- Accelerate Your Prototyping
- Fast
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- Free
There are many times when you may want to further alter the performance of your polymer tubing for more specialized applications. For those occasions, we provide the additional option of custom fillers to enhance the properties of your base polymer resin; this allows you to get the most out of your polymer product and maximize your end value.
In the medical field, our tubing has become a mainstay. To keep up with the latest innovations and regulations, we continue to do our part to provide products with the highest utility. Fluoropolymer tubing is radiolucent, which makes it difficult to see under fluoroscopy during minimally invasive procedures. Radiopaque fillers added to fluoropolymer tubing* aid in visualization using this traditional technique by changing the density of the plastic. Barium sulfate and bismuth trioxide are two of the most commonly used fillers to enhance radiopacity in polymers.
Many applications of our tubing outside of the medical industry require additional filler customizations. For example, small glass beads can be blended into resins such as PTFE during extrusion to produce tubing with improved abrasion resistance for use in harsh mechanical environments. Glass-filled PTFE enhances the tubing’s bondability. Glass-filled tubing also exhibits a reduced coefficient of thermal expansion – important in high-heat environments.
Carbon fillers help to dissipate static that can be present in many applications. The carbon additive also increases resistance to wear when heavy loads are in constant contact with the tubing. Carbon-filled tubing is black in color.
Contact us here or call toll-free in the US 1-800-526-3842 or +1-803-268-9500 internationally today to find out more about how our customizable fillers can improve your product, or if you do not see a filler option that you are looking for.
* Radiopaque fillers are available for tubing only (not available for heat shrink).