At present, silicone hoses are commonly used in the medical silicone industry, mainly for liquid transmission, peristaltic pumps, and infusion operations. The advantages and limitations of silicone hoses, as well as the variables to be considered, will be discussed through the material properties of various hoses.
Organic silicone is the commercial name for many silicone products, but most products are made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The characteristics of these polymers are high bond strength and resistance to uniform chain breakage (organosilicon has UV stability); It also has thermal and chemical stability, making it easy to sterilize. Its polar main chain is prone to hetero cleavage, but the methyl group on the chain can provide protection.
Therefore, organosilicon has hydrophobicity, and the contact angle of water on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) model is relatively high, at 108 °. Due to its hydrophobicity, in the absence of surfactants, organosilicon does not react with aqueous media and only reacts in environments with strong bases or weak acids.
The hose is packaged and supplied after extrusion molding, usually in the form of a 50 foot coil, and is individually packed in a double-layer sealed polyethylene bag. It is worth mentioning that due to their thermosetting nature, siloxanes cannot be reprocessed, just like thermoplastic materials.
Appearance and mechanical properties
Compared to some organic thermoplastic plastics, the transparency of organosilicon is described as "semi transparent". This result is because the silicone elastomer used to make the hose is composed of silicone polymer and amorphous silica. Due to the different refractive indices of these two materials and the lack of a specific mixing method to match them, all silicone tubes are semi transparent.
After curing, silicone elastomers exhibit significant mechanical properties, including moderate hardness and high elongation at break, but lower tensile strength than polyurethane (PU). Compared to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), they have a sticky surface and a higher coefficient of friction, but much lower rigidity. Due to their hydrophobicity and excellent electrical insulation properties, they attract dust. Their working temperature range is larger than that of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
