Polyimide Tubing

Polyimide is a polymer thermoset plastic that has exceptional thermal stability, chemical resistance, and tensile strength. These characteristics make polyimide an ideal material for high-performance medical applications. The tubing is lightweight, flexible, and resistant to heat and chemical interaction.

Typical Applications

Cardiovascular catheters
Urological retrieval devices
Neurovascular applications
Fiber optics
Intravascular drug delivery
Balloon angioplasty & stent delivery systems

Polyimide Features

Superior pushability & tractability
Flexibility & kink resistance
Column strength
Ultra-smooth surface & transparency
Chemically inert
Torque transmission
Gamma, EtO & E-beam sterilization tolerant
Color selection
USP Class VI Compliance

Standard Size/Tolerances

Standard ID sizes from 0.004″ to 0.086″ (0.10mm to 2.18mm)
Wall thickness from 0.0005″ to 0.008″ (0.0127mm to 0.2032mm)

ID Size/Tolerances

ID > 0.0200″ (0.51 mm) Tolerance: ± 1% of Nominal
ID < 0.0200″ Tolerance: ± 0.0002″ (0.005 mm) of Nominal

Wall Thickness/Tolerances

Wall > 0.0010″ (0.025 mm)
Tolerance: ±0.00025″ (0.006 mm)
Wall < 0.0010″
Tolerance: +0.00025″, – 0″

Material Property Information

Thermal Rating @ 20,000 Hours: 220°C Minimum (428°F)
Thermal Endurance: 400°C Minimum (752°F)
Tensile Strength: 20,000 PSI Minimum
Hoop Stress: 11,000 PSI Minimum
Burst Strength: (Hoop Stress x Wall Thickness)/OD Radius
Chemical Resistance: Excellent, most solvents/solutions
Radiation Resistance: 3.0 X 109 Gamma Dose rd
Coefficient of Thermal Conductivity: 35.0 X 10-5 Cal/sec/cm2/°C/cm
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion: 4.0 X 10-5/°C
Elongation @ Break: 50% Nominal
Dielectric Strength: 4,000 Volts/0.001″ Minimum
Dielectric Constant: 3.4
Melting Point: Nonexistent
Density @ Room Temp: 1.41 g/cc
Coefficient of Friction: 0.5