If you already use silicone hose in your work or hobby, you may be surprised at the diverse range of things you can use it for. It owes its great versatility to its heat tolerance, durability and sheer aesthetic beauty and can be found in a surprising number of industries. Soon you’ll be living, breathing and sleeping this handy stuff thanks to our eye-opening guide.
1. Aquariums
If you love aquariums and fish tanks, you will know that fitting air devices, such as air stones and filters, relies on well-fitting tubing. Silicone hoses give you a longer-lasting alternative to the standard vinyl tubing – they don’t stiffen as quickly with use, and it is very easy to establish a nice seal between the devices and the supply posts. Although it is slightly more expensive than vinyl, many aquarium enthusiasts use silicone because of its durability, flexibility and impressive ability to withstand pressure.
2. Catheter Tubing
Medical-grade silicone tubes can be used as the material for catheters thanks to their non-reactive chemical properties, excellent biocompatibility, inert molecular structure and heat sensitivity. There is a wealth of interesting information about this online, such as this report.
3. Brewing
It is pretty simple to set up a home brewery, but the first thing you’ll need to do is buy and set up your kit. One crucial piece of equipment is the siphon hose, which is used to transfer the beer or wine between containers without introducing air into your precious brew. Try silicone hose tubing for a great result, with a wide variety of lengths and diameters available to suit your set-up. You can source good-quality silicone hose in a variety of sizes from a wide range of suppliers, such as https://www.goodflexrubber.com/pages/silicone-hose-manufacture.
4. Dairies
Silicone tubing is a major component in milking machines in dairies. These machines use vacuum pumps to create pulsating suction and give the most efficient milk-flow from the cows’ udders into the tanks. Since silicone tubing has very high tolerance for operating in a vacuum, this is the perfect choice for the milking process, where it must function as a connector with the vacuum pump and vacuum line, the teat cups and pulsator, and in many cases actually carry the milk itself into the tank. Food-grade silicone hosing is widely available for applications like this.