subject: Silicone Tubings Natural Properties And Performance Make It Essential For Many Everyday Applicati [print this page] Silicone is a remarkable material that is found in hundreds of modern day products.
One of the most useful of the possible moulds, which is important to modern society, is silicone tubing.
Among silicone tubings many useful properties are:
Good electrical insulation, thermal stability, watertight seals, resistance to oxygen, ozone and UV light, non-stick, low chemical, low toxicity, resistance to microbiological growth and high gas permeability.
Silicone tubing has become even more popular in the medical device market over the last five years.
The reason why silicone is gradually replacing other types of tubing is because it offers biocompatibility and ease of manufacturing.
The design aspect is also a factor - without sacrificing its quality or durability.
Excellent biocompatibility compared to other thermoplastic has finally given silicone tubing a boost.
Characteristics of silicone tubing
The advantage that silicone tubing holds is mainly due to the following characteristics:
Low toxicity
Physiological inertness
Low occurrence of leachable and extractable
Hypoallergenicity
Silicone tubing is used in many medical applications - such as pacemaker lead covers as well as wound drainage.
It is also useful in the context of biological sensors, prosthetics, and drug-delivery.
Silicone tubing can come in clear, translucent, or opaque versions.
Silicone can be extruded as long as necessary in order to encompass a huge range of sizes - such as small diameters or tolerances.
Alternatively, the material can exceed 3 inches in diameter or accommodate a specific shape along the tube length.
Silicone is a heat-cured material - partially cured or uncured extruded profiles can be placed into forming trays or other specialised moulds to help set a specified shape without altering physical properties or crucial dimensions.
Silicone tubing carries a reputation for not being able to withstand extreme pressures as well as comparably sized thermoplastic tubing.
However, a designer requiring a softer or more flexible tube that still has resistance to pressure can specify a reinforced version.
One of the most useful features of silicone tubing is the fact that it can withstand a huge range of temperatures.
It ranges from -74.3 degrees Celsius all the way up to 204.4 degrees Celsius.Industrial silicone tubing can be used as a mask to protect blot and screw threads in painting and coating operations, and, due to the high temperature rating, can often be reused multiple times.
Industrial Silicone Tubing is commonly used to convey liquids, air or gases and to protect wires and hoses from high temperature environments.
Silicone tubing can be used in many industries, but is often designed with a specific purpose in mind.
Silicone Tubing has non-stick properties meaning that, usefully, molten metal, weld spatter, grinding sparks do not stick to it.
Silicone Tubing is available in many different sizes.
Silicone tubing also has good electrical properties and the ability to self-extinguish.
This makes silicone tubing ideal for appliances and computers. And, because it contains no sulphur, or other acid producing chemicals, there is possibility of staining, corroding or deteriorating materials it contacts.
Benefits of silicone tubing
It resistextremetemperature variations: -100F to 500F
The translucent natural colour for visual contact with the flow.
Silicone tubing is stretchable, and resistant to compression setting as well as being odourless, tasteless, and inert.
