WELL CONSTRUCTION - Teflon pipe dope


               UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
                          GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
                      WATER RESOURCES DIVISION
                      WASHINGTON, D. C.  20242

                                               January 15, 1970
                                                      4037 0001

GROUND WATER BRANCH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 70.8

To:       Regional Hydrologists and District Chiefs, WRD

From:     Chief, Ground Water Branch, WRD

Subject:  WELL CONSTRUCTION - Teflon pipe dope

George A. Dinwiddie, of the WRD Radiohydrology Project Office at
Denver, furnishes the following information on a relatively new
product--Teflon pipe dope--for use in test-well construction and
other pipe-fitting requirements, particularly where water
contamination by pipe dope is a concern:

     "Normal pipe dope is a petroleum-base substance that tends to
     bleed out of the pipe connections, especially as temperature
     increases.  The dope, or at least the oily film derived from
     the dope, fouls instruments and contaminates the water.
     Teflon paste was our solution to this problem.  In addition
     to being a good lubricant, this teflon pipe dope is
     relatively inert and stable even as temperature increases.
     The material also is a dielectric which means that it does
     not affect the instruments nearly as much as the normal pipe
     dope.  The material that we used during hydraulic testing of
     deep holes in Central Nevada has the trade name "Quick Seal"
     and was ordered from Saunders Corporation of Los Angeles.  It
     is listed as Saunders No. S-33 (Quick Seal) by the Saunders
     Corporation (Telephone 213 246-5595)."



                                   (s) C. L. McGuinness

WRD Distribution:  A, B, S, FO, PO