PTFE Liner with excellent insulative properties and high dieletric strength

PTFE was the first fluoropolymer to be discovered. It is also the most difficult to process. Because its melt temperature is only a few degrees shy of its degradation temperature, it cannot be melt-processed. PTFE is processed using a sintering method, where the material is heated to a temperature below its melting point for an extended period of time. The PTFE crystals unravel and interlock with each other, allowing the plastic to take the shape it is intended to take. PTFE has been used in the medical industry as early as the 1960s. Today, it is typically used for split-sheath introducers and dilators, as well as lubricious catheter liners and heat shrink tubing. Because of the chemical stability and low coefficient of friction, PTFE is an ideal catheter liner.