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Silicone tubing has long been used for medical tubing, as it meets the medical industry’s requirements for cleanliness and non-toxicity. Another of silicone’s major features resistance to extreme temperature variations has enabled its use in applications where a flexible tubing is needed to handle temperatures not possible with other plastics or rubbers.
A rubber-like thermoset material, silicone tubing and hose is extremely pliable and elastic, and it is not altered by the effects of weather. It generally exhibits inertness toward U.V., radiation, and ozone making it an excellent choice for electrically-associated applications.
Latex natural rubber tubing has been extensively in the health care industry for many years. From there it has expanded into the food, toy, instrumentation, and sporting goods fields.
Known for its extreme flexibility, latex is among the most flexible and elastic rubber materials in use today. Resiliency is another quality of latex tubing, allowing it to maintain memory after repeated bending, stretching, of pulsating forces.
Latex also withstands repeated sterilization with either steam, Ethylene Oxide, or gamma radiation. There are no added plasticizers, coagulants, or fillers to migrate and contaminate the stream or cause tube hardening.
TPR (Thermoplastic Rubber) combines the processability of plastics with the flexibility and durability of rubbers. Typically more light weight and formable than rubber, TPR has been growing in acceptance for many applications over the last decade.
TPR provides outstanding compression characteristics, making it an ideal fit for use with peristaltic pumps. The material also offers excellent resistance to flex fatigue and tear. It maintains good flexibility to temperatures approaching -80°F.
Viton® - Known for its resistance to oils and chemicals, this remarkable material retains its good mechanical and chemical resistance properties at extremely high temperatures better than any other known elastomer. Viton is also a standout material in its resistance to weather-related aging and ozone. In fact, samples weathered in direct Florida sunlight showed little or no change in properties or appearance after 13 years of exposure.
Viton’s fluid resistance far exceeds that of most other synthetic rubbers. It is resistant to hydro-carbons such as benzene, carbon tetrachloride, toluene, and xylene fluids that normally act as solvents on rubber, disintegrating the material; leading to tubing failure. Engineers looking for exceptional resistance to petroleum-based fuels, oils, lubricants, and mineral acids at elevated temperatures will often turn to Viton, because most other thermoplastics cannot meet the necessary resistance levels.
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