For Braided And Coil-reinforced PI Polyimide Tubing

What is Polyimide (PI) sleeves ?

Polyimide (PI) is an organic polymer material with excellent comprehensive properties. It can withstand high temperatures above 400°C. It has a long-term use temperature range of -200~300°C. It has no obvious melting point and has high insulation properties. The dielectric constant is 4.0 at 103 Hz. The dielectric loss is only 0.004~0.007, and it is an F to H class insulating material.

Polyimide sleeves are spirally wound from multiple layers of polyimide film and bonded with special glue. Sleeves of this material have good electrical, physical and mechanical insulation properties. The casing has significant radiation resistance and flexibility at extremely high and low temperatures.

Polyimide (PI) sleeves Features:

1) The geometric dimensions are precise, the inner diameter range is 0.5-1mm, the tolerance is ±0.03, and the pipe wall thickness is 0.05mm-0.5mm.

2) It has good high and low temperature resistance, does not become brittle at low temperatures, does not soften or deform at high temperatures of 400°C, and allows long-term use at 240°C.

3) The electrical insulation performance is good, the dielectric constant is about 3.4, and the dielectric strength is not less than 120kv/mm.

4) The mechanical properties are good, the tensile strength is not less than 150MPa, and the tensile elongation is not less than 10%.

5) Stable performance, resistant to various solvents except strong alkali solutions.

6) It has good illumination resistance and low outgassing under thermal vacuum.

7) The surface friction coefficient of the material is about 0.5, and it can bond well with a variety of adhesives.

Polyimide (PI) sleeves Application :

As a pipe material with geometric dimensions, electricity, mechanics and precision, it can be used in conditions such as small space, harsh high and low temperature environments, complex electromagnetic and radiation environments, such as living organisms and underground, nuclear power plants, industrial facilities, instruments and equipment, etc. Used as protective casing, insulating casing, gas and liquid conduit, etc.

Braided and coil-reinforced PI polyimide tubes are available for challenging applications

PI polyimides are a class of thermosetting polymers with excellent properties, including the imide bond as its central identifying element. PI polyimides are known for their exceptional thermal stability, chemical resistance, dielectric and tensile strength in high and low temperature environments, and these properties and more have led to a wide range of applications of PI polyimides in medical devices as well as a wide range of industrial applications.

Available in a range of I.D. sizes, thin-walled and extremely tight tolerances, PI polyimide tubes can also be supplied in a multi-layered form combining skin and skin gliding layers. This layered structure allows further modification of the tube's properties for its intended application, so to speak, and PI polyimide glide tubes can have a sliding diameter (IDD) with a lubricated skin that can be bonded to the polyimide's outer diameter.

And vice versa, braided and coil-reinforced PI polyimide tubing is available for challenging applications that require increased torque, flexibility, kink resistance, improved fusibility, or increased strength. These features help medical device engineers optimize their device designs and fine-tune key performance characteristics, paving the way for improved procedural outcomes and enhanced patient safety.

Polyimide tubing can be produced in both full-load and half-load braid patterns, with lower braid densities (lower PI) increasing susceptibility and higher braid densities (higher PI) increasing flexibility and maneuverability. Reinforced PI polyimide tubing is also available in coil configurations, with a variety of WIPs (claddings per inch), to meet our needs.

Polyimide can be coated on extremely thin metal wires. Available for coated wire applications, these can be applied to multiple substrates such as copper, nitinol, stainless steel and silver-plated copper. Coated steel wires can be used for both medical and non-medical applications, such as coated pulling wires, lead wires (insulated wires), release rods, etc. Polyimide coated wires offer:1. high dielectric strength, 2. abrasion resistance, and high temperature resistance.

Since PI gliders cannot be sterilized using gamma and electron beam sterilization methods, all Zeus polyimide products are available in either conventional polyimide form or a highly lubricated version,Pi Gliders, a polyimide + PTFE composite that offers up to a 25% coefficient of friction over the standard. With this enhanced lubricity, Pi Gliders are an excellent choice for applications where pure lubrication performance is not required.