SPI Supplies^® Brand PTFE Labware

Introduction to PTFE labware:

The SPI Supplies^® Brand of PTFE labware is molded, depending on the specific product, with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) manufactured by DuPont, 3M Company (Dyneon^®), or Asahi Chemical (Fluon^®). Several different brands of PTFE are used, and we have found that all three brands work well in the labware application.

PTFE is ideally suited for the labware application because of its legendary resistance to just about anything including strong acids and bases. It is also resistant to steam and has a temperature range of use covering the range of -200°C (-390°F) to +300°C (+570°F). Because of the three dimensional structure of PTFE at the molecular level, it is essentially intractable in any solvent, therefore explaining it unique resistance to dissolution in most solvents or strong acids and bases. And because of the helical structure of the polymer chain, which is literally "sheathed" by the F atoms, the more chemically vulnerable carbon-carbon bonds of the chain are fully protected.

And as if this was not enough, because of the very high purity of the PTFE starting material, the lab ware products carrying the SPI Supplies Brand name are of very high purity and the products all exhibit extremely low levels of extractables, even at elevated temperatures. And the legendary non-stick properties of PTFE give it yet additional advantages for use in the laboratory.

Safety considerations:

Who among us has not, at one time in our lives, dropped a glass beaker or flask, with the resulting flooding of the work area with potentially dangerous liquids? When a piece of PTFE labware is dropped, it won't break. This does not mean that there won't be a flood of some liquid, but it does remove from the equation flying shard of broken glass. We believe that the resistance to breakage is a greatly understated advantage even for those working with liquids that don't, strictly speaking, require the intertness of PTFE.

Use in materials science laboratories:

Just about any laboratory could be a potential user of PTFE labware but it has been our own experience that the strongest acids and bases, etching chemicals, and other hazardous items are generally found in materials science laboratories as well as the electronics industry.

Watch this part of our website as it is expanded in the future to include an even large family of PTFE labware products. If you need something that is not yet "clickable", contact us and tell us what you need; we might have some pre-production samples to offer to you at a special price.