Medical tubing looks simple, but its material selection determines performance, safety and regulatory success. The right compound affects everything from flow control and biocompatibility to sterilization compatibility. This guide breaks down the most common materials for medical tubing, compares their strengths and explains how engineers can choose the best fit for regulated medical systems.
Tubing is essential across respiratory care, IV lines, peristaltic pumps, drainage systems and diagnostic devices. Because tubing often interfaces with the body, biocompatibility, cleanliness and chemical stability are mandatory.
Material choice influences:
Sur-Seal helps OEMs select materials that balance performance, safety and manufacturability — especially in single-use and reusable medical systems.
Engineers should evaluate:
These criteria guide whether silicone, plastic or rubber performs best in the final design.
Silicone Tubing: Silicone is an industry standard for high-performance and implantable systems.
Benefits:
Sur-Seal supports silicone converting for slitting, laminating and die-cutting. Explore our silicone materials.
PVC dominates single-use medical tubing due to low cost and excellent clarity. PE and PP offer chemical resistance, while polycarbonate provides rigidity when structural stability is required.
Common Uses:
At Sur-Seal, we help OEMs select plastics that achieve the right mix of clarity, sterilization compatibility and bond strength.
Rubber tubing offers resilience and durability under pressure or repeated flexing.
Common Uses:
Medical rubber compounds can be formulated to meet the performance requirements of ISO 10993.
Foams and pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are often paired with tubing to add stability or comfort.
Applications:
Sur-Seal’s medical-grade foam and PSA capabilities create cleaner, safer system integration. See our medical solutions.
| Property | Silicone | Plastic | Rubber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biocompatibility | Excellent | Varies | Good |
| Sterilization Resistance | High | Moderate | Good |
| Flexibility | High | Moderate | High |
| Chemical Resistance | High | Moderate | High |
| Cost | Mid-high | Low | Mid |
Common requirements include:
Sur-Seal’s validated converting processes, documentation and material traceability help support OEM compliance needs.
Matching the sterilization method to the material is essential for maintaining performance, clarity and flexibility.
Sur-Seal provides:
Partnership early in development leads to faster prototyping and simplified regulatory pathways.
Contact Sur-Seal for help selecting materials for medical tubing.
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