Laboratory Tubing

Tubing Box Spectrum Chromatography manufactures flexible tubing in a variety of sizes from 5 different materials. For use with peristaltic pumps we manufacture tubing of Silicone, Vinyl, and low-pressure fluoroelastomer. All of these can also be used as general laboratory tubing and we also provide PTFE and polyethylene tubing as well.

All lengths of tubing longer than 3 meters are packaged in easy-to-use side access dispenser boxes to minimize your shelf space requirements. They also include a Spectra/Chrom tubing cutter which easily makes square, even, tubing cuts.

Here is a description of the available sizes of peristaltic pump tubing. Here is a description of the available sizes of laboratory tubing.

Silicone Tubing (LPS). This is the most commonly used peristaltic pump tubing. It provides the longest service life and good chemical compatibility for aqueous solvents. Silicone tubing can be autoclaved a single time using a wet cycle.

Vinyl Tubing (LPV). Vinyl tubing has the lowest per-foot cost of the available peristaltic pump tubings. It generally has only fair compatibility for most aqueous solvents and does not have a good tolerance for organic solvents. It has only about one-third the service live of silicone tubing in a peristaltic pump. Vinyl tubing should not be autoclaved or exposed to temperatures above 80°C.

Fluoroelastomer Tubing (LPF). Fluoroelastomer tubing is both the most chemically inert and the shortest lived peristaltic pump tubing. It can even withstand halogenated solvents for a limited time. Its service life is only about one-twentieth that of silicone tubing in a peristaltic pump. Like silicone tubing, fluoroelastomer tubing can be autoclaved a single time using a wet cycle.

PTFE Tubing (HPT). PTFE is an inert white fluoropolymer. It is the most inert of all the tubing we manufacture. It can withstand nearly any solvent used in a modern laboratory, from distilled water to methylene chloride. It's excellent thermal characteristics allow it to be autoclaved repeatedly. After autoclaving PTFE tubing should not be used for fluid transport until it has cooled.

Polyethylene Tubing (HPP). Polyethylene tubing is an inexpensive alternative to PTFE tubing. Like PTFE tubing, polyethylene can handle pressure significantly higher than any of other flexible tubings. Polyethylene does not have the thermal stability of PTFE so it should not be autoclaved; it can, however, be sterilized ethylene oxide.


LPF is an abbreviation for low-pressure fluoroelastomer. This is a tubing which is flexible like vinyl tubing and yet has much of the solvent resistance of PTFE tubing.