A plastic tube is made from plastic compounds to be used in structural or fluid flow systems or for electrical, insulation, heating or sheathing assemblies. It is an adaptable and lightweight item that is generally used as flow lines for gases and fluids in hydraulic, medical processes, pneumatic and many other types of applications. Depending upon its use and the type of material used, a plastic tube can be rigid or flexible. It can be expected to be usually smaller than a pipe or hose. It can also be expected to be used in many types of industries as different types of tubes can be made for varied applications. Here, we take a look at some of its usefulness to understand them better:

Durable tubes can be made from many different types of material like polyurethane, acrylic or nylon. While selecting a plastic for a particular application, its pressure capacity may also have to be kept in mind. A plastic tube is used in a range of industries and is not only limited by a large amount of pressure or heat as they can be made from stronger resins such as polysulfone, which can easily handle extreme hot and cold environments. Hence, for flame and fire resistance, plastic tubes made from polycarbonates can be extremely helpful. Polystyrene is another material that can resist corrosive actions and many types of chemicals.

Plastic Tube

A plastic tube can be made into various types of shapes and sizes as per the requirement. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in different segments tend to buy these tubes in large numbers for many types of applications. Aerospace and medical industries need high quality and industry approved tubes in different sizes and shapes which can be created with plastic tubes. Also, the plastic tubes are very heavily used and regulated by many companies in drainage, irrigation and the highway sector in varied sizes and shapes and getting the correct size is also very important for fitting them as required for an application. 

The performance of a plastic tube is a key parameter and it is typically dependent on the material of construction. A pressure rating is a performance specification that can be required for tubes in fluid flow operations. It can be defined as the minimum or maximum pressure that a tube is able to handle without any problem and is measured in pounds per square inch (psi). Another important specification is the minimum bend radius which is the acceptable deformation that a tubing cross-section can easily succumb to. The minimum bend radius can be measured in millimeters or inches. Likewise, there is a temperature range and maximum vacuum that also helps in specifying a tube. 

Tubes can have many different types of features depending on the suitability of an application. For extra strength, reinforced material like banding wires or fibers can be added to a tubing material. Similarly, sterilizable tubes can be sterilized by chemical disinfection, gamma, irradiation, etc. for many types of sanitary processes. In the same way, spark resistant tubes can be very helpful in case of a spark or an electrical discharge. This type of tube can be very effective in many types of electrical applications. 

Looking at the different types of plastic tubes that are available in the market today, we can conclude that these items are very much needed for many different types of applications and industries. The material of these tubes can also differ significantly and one can select a product depending upon a need. That is the reason why they are abundantly used across many sectors and help us in realizing our goals.