Tygon® is a brand name for a family of flexible polymer tubing consisting of a variety of materials to be used "across a range of specialized fluid transfer requirements". The specific composition of each type is a trade secret. Some variants have multiple layers of different materials. Tygon is a registered trademark of

Saint-Gobain Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. () is a French multinational corporation, founded in 1665 in Paris as the Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs, and today headquartered on the outskirts of Paris, at La Défense and in Courbevoie. Originally a ...

Corporation. It is an invented word, owned and used by Saint-Gobain and originated in the late 1930s. Tygon products are produced in three countries, but sold throughout the world. Tygon tubing is used in many markets, including food and beverage, chemical processing, industrial, laboratory, medical, pharmaceutical, and semiconductor processing. There are many formulations of clear, flexible, Tygon tubing. The chemical resistance and physical properties vary among the different formulations, but the tubing generally is intended to be "so resistant to chemical attack that it will handle practically any chemical", whether liquid, gas, or slurry. While largely non-reactive, Tygon has been reported to liberate

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...

and is listed among

carbon monoxide-releasing molecules Carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) are chemical compounds designed to release controlled amounts of carbon monoxide (CO). CORMs are being developed as potential therapeutic agents to locally deliver CO to cells and tissues, thus overcomin ...

Formulations and applications

Food and beverage applications

''Tygon B-44-3'', ''Tygon B-44-4X'', ''Tygon B-44-4X I.B.,'' and ''Tygon Silver'' (antimicrobial) were widely used in the food and beverage industry, in particular in: beverage dispensing, dairy processing, soft-serve dispensing, vitamin and flavor concentrate systems, cosmetic production, and water purification systems. These formulations each meet U.S.

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

3-A and

NSF International NSF (an initialism for National Sanitation Foundation) is a public health organization. Written by employees of the National Sanitation Foundation. headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan that tests and certifies foods, water, and consumer produc ...

51 criteria but they do not comply with European Directives (European Directive 2002/72/EC of 6 August 2002 relating to plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs as modified in particular by Directive 2007/19/EC of 2 April 2007).

Class VI approved

Several formulations of Tygon are USP class VI approved and can be used in either surgical procedures or pharmaceutical processing.

Medical

''Tygon Medical/Surgical Tubing S-50-HL'' — Characterized to the latest ISO 10993 standards and U.S.

(FDA) guidelines for

biocompatibility Biocompatibility is related to the behavior of biomaterials in various contexts. The term refers to the ability of a material to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific situation. The ambiguity of the term reflects the ongoin ...

. This material is non-toxic, non-

hemolytic Hemolysis or haemolysis (), also known by several other names, is the rupturing (lysis) of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the release of their contents (cytoplasm) into surrounding fluid (e.g. blood plasma). Hemolysis may occur in vivo ...

, and non- pyrogenic. This formulation is used in minimally invasive devices, dialysis equipment, for bypass procedures, and

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...

drug delivery. ''Tygon Medical Tubing S-54-HL'' was introduced in 1964 for use in medical applications. This material can be used in

catheter In medicine, a catheter ( ) is a thin tubing (material), tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. ...

s, for intravenous or intra-arterial infusion and other surgical uses. Tygon S-54-HL can also be fabricated into

cannula A cannula (; Latin meaning 'little reed'; : cannulae or cannulas) is a tube that can be inserted into the body, often for the delivery or removal of fluid or for the gathering of samples. In simple terms, a cannula can surround the inner or out ...

e or protective sheath products using

thermoforming Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. The sheet, or "film" when referring to thinner gauges and cert ...

and flaring techniques.

Pharmaceutical

''Tygon LFL'' (Long Flex Life) pump tubing is non-toxic clear tubing with broad chemical resistance. It is often used in product filtration and fermentation and

surfactant Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. The word ''surfactant'' is a Blend word, blend of "surface-active agent", coined in ...

delivery. ''Tygon 2275 High Purity Tubing'' is a plasticizer-free material that is often used in sterile filling and dispensing systems and diagnostic equipment. This formulation is also considered to have low

absorption Absorption may refer to: Chemistry and biology *Absorption (biology), digestion **Absorption (small intestine) *Absorption (chemistry), diffusion of particles of gas or liquid into liquid or solid materials *Absorption (skin), a route by which su ...

adsorption Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or molecules from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid to a surface. This process creates a film of the ''adsorbate'' on the surface of the ''adsorbent''. This process differs from absorption, in which a ...

properties, which minimizes the risk of fluid alteration. ''Tygon 2275 I.B. High-Purity Pressure Tubing'' is plasticizer-free and is reinforced with a braid for use with elevated working pressures.

Peristaltic pumps

Many formulations of Tygon can be used in

peristaltic pump A peristaltic pump, also commonly known as a roller pump, is a type of positive displacement pump used for pumping a variety of fluids. The fluid is contained in a flexible tube fitted inside a circular pump casing. Most peristaltic pumps work th ...

s, including the following: ''Tygon R-3603 Laboratory Tubing'' is commonly used in chemical laboratories. It is often used in incubators and as a replacement for rubber tubing for

Bunsen burner A Bunsen burner, named after Robert Bunsen, is a kind of ambient air gas burner used as laboratory equipment; it produces a single open gas flame, and is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion. The gas can be natural gas (which is main ...

s. This material is produced in vacuum sizes and can withstand a full vacuum at room temperature. It is a thermoplastic PVC-based material with plasticizer. ''Tygon R-1000 Ultra-Soft Tubing'' is used in general laboratory applications. It is the softest of the Tygon formulations with a

durometer The Shore durometer is a device for measuring the hardness of a material, typically of polymers. Higher numbers on the scale indicate a greater resistance to indentation and thus harder materials. Lower numbers indicate less resistance and sof ...

hardness of Shore A 40 (ASTM Method D2240-02). Because of the low

of this material it is often used in low-

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational analogue of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). The symbol for torque is typically \boldsymbol\tau, the lowercase Greek letter ''tau''. Wh ...

peristaltic pumps. ''Tygon LFL'' (Long Flex Life) Pump Tubing, ''Tygon 3350'', ''Tygon S-50-HL Medical/Surgical'' Tubing, ''Tygon 2275 High Purity Tubing'', and ''Tygon 2001'' Tubing are also used in peristaltic pump applications.

Plasticizer-free/non-DEHP

Tygon tubing is available in Plasticizer-free/non- DEHP (non-

Phthalate Phthalates ( ), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid. They are mainly used as plasticizers, i.e., substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are used primarily to soften ...

)-formulations. These formulations have a high degree of chemical resistance and do not release any hazardous material when properly incinerated. ''Tygon 2275 High Purity tubing'', ''Tygon Ultra Chemical Resistant Tubing 2075'', and ''Tygon Plasticizer Free Tubing 2001'' are all

plasticizer A plasticizer ( UK: plasticiser) is a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to decrease its viscosity, and/or to decrease friction during its handling in manufacture. Plasticizer ...

-free. "ND-100 series" products are non-DEHP and use a non-Phthalate plasticizer. ''Tygon Silver'' Tubing has a plasticizer-free inner bore and a

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

-based compound on the inner surface to decrease bacterial growth and protect against

microbes A microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from antiquity, with an early attestation in ...

Industrial use

There are several formulations of Tygon that are used in industrial applications. * ''Tygon Fuel and Lubricant Tubing F-4040-A'' is translucent yellow for positive identification and flow monitoring. It is used in small engine fuel lines,

recreational vehicle A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and ca ...

s, and lubrication lines. * ''Tygon LP1100'' is a low permeation EPA and

CARB The California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) is an agency of the government of California that aims to reduce air pollution. Established in 1967 when then-governor Ronald Reagan signed the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air S ...

certified fuel line also used in small engines. * ''Tygon R-3400 UV Resistant Tubing'' is black in color and opaque. It remains flexible in

ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

(UV) environments and is often used for electrical insulation, ink, and adhesive dispensing, and fertilizer and pesticide dispensing. Because it is resistant to UV light,

ozone Ozone () (or trioxygen) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , break ...

, and weathering, it is commonly used in outdoor applications. * ''Tygon 2075 Ultra Chemical Resistant Tubing'' is a plasticizer-free material that is known for its high degree of chemical resistance. It can be used in ink and printing fluid dispensing, paint and solvent production, and is resistant to MEK and other chemicals. When properly incinerated it releases only

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...

and water. * ''Tygon 2375 Ultra Chemical Resistant Tubing'' is now replacing Tygon 2075.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Saint-Gobain Industrial and Consumer Solutions WebsiteFlared tubing Web site
Industrial equipment Saint-Gobain