Thread seal tape is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film cut to specified widths for use in sealing pipe threads. Thread tape is appropriate for use on tapered threads, where the sealing force is a wedge action. White – used on NPT threads up to 3/8 inch.
The tape is wrapped around the exposed threads of a pipe before it is screwed into place. The tape is commonly used commercially in pressurized water systems, such as central heating systems, as well as in air compression equipment and thread joints with coarse threads. One of the defining characteristics of PTFE is how good it is at defeating friction. The use of PTFE tape in tapered pipe threads performs a lubricating function, which more easily allows the threads to be screwed together, to the point of deformation, which is what creates the seal.
Also commonly known as Teflon tape.
