Teflon Tape
Teflon Tape, also known as thread seal tape, is made out of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or
Teflon) and used mostly for preventing gas or liquid leaks. It is very useful to plumbers while sealing
pipes. Often, since Teflon tape is ideal
as a water or air-tight sealant, it is used to repair central heating systems
and air compression equipment. It has
high tension strength and has silky, smooth fibers that tear in a stringy way. The color is generally white, which is the
natural color of Teflon, but sometimes manufacturers will match the color with
color-coded pipelines. For example,
yellow Teflon tape is used for natural gas, while green is used for oxygen
pipes. Tape made from Teflon is designed
for use on tampered pipes threads, which are the spiral ridges on the ends of
pipes used to join them together. After
the male and female pipe ends have screwed together, Teflon tape is applied for
an air-tight seal, and acts as a quicker and cleaner alternative to putty.
PTFE is a malleable, flexible material with great tensile
strength. It is manufactured through a
process called suspension polymerization, where TFE is polymerized in water, resulting
in grains of PTFE, which are then processed into pellets. These pellets are heated and molded into a
film that is cut into thin strips.
Teflon tape does not use an adhesive.
Instead, it clings to surfaces when pressure is applied. It is able to stay in place for years, and
may be easily removed or repositioned as necessary. The MIL-T-27730A, a military specification
used in the US,
requires Teflon tape to have a minimum thickness of 3.5 mils and a minimum PTFE
purity of 99%. Tape made specifically to prevent gas leaks are required to be
thicker than those used to seal off liquid pipes.