Method for forming fluoroplastic articles

A method for producing a thermally stable fluoroplastic article, having inner and outer fluoroplastic layers and a metal meshwork, the metal meshwork being between the inner and outer fluoroplastic layers, and wherein said meshwork is stretchable and compressible in an axial direction, the method comprising:

• (1) winding a thin fluoroplastic belt around a steel mold until the desired thickness is reached, to form the inner fluoroplastic layer;
• (2) compressing the metal meshwork in the axial direction to form a compressed meshwork having a diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the inner fluoroplastic layer;
• (3) applying the compressed meshwork onto the inner fluoroplastic layer so that the compressed meshwork forms a sheath around the inner fluoroplastic layer;
• (4) stretching the compressed meshwork to reduce the diameter of the metal meshwork such that the metal meshwork closely abuts against the inner fluoroplastic layer and such that grids of the metal meshwork are substantially uniform;
• (5) winding the thin fluoroplastic belt around the metal meshwork until the desired thickness is reached, to form the outer fluoroplastic layer;
• (6) closely strapping the outer layer with a glass belt to form a strapped fluoroplastic;
• and
• (7) sintering the strapped fluoroplastic article in an oven at about 380° C. to form the fluoroplastic article, the thermally stable fluoroplastic article being thermally stable.