Silicone Hoses

Silicon is one of the most common chemical elements in the Earths crust. It occurs extremely
rarely in its pure state in nature, but often in different compounds. After the discovery and
development of different methods for extracting silicates it becomes clear, that they have
qualities that set them apart from other elastomers known at the time.
One of the leading advantages of silicone is its very high endurance to
extreme temperatures in the range between -80 260?C. Also the
chemical structure of silicone makes it suitable for use in the medical
field, since it is very unlikely to react with other substances, and the
silicon itself does not emit harmful chemicals. Different toxicity tests
prove that the use of silicone for health purposes in hospitals and
clinics has no adverse effects.
Other field of application for silicone hoses is the automotive industry. Many of the
components in the modern automobile are made of or contain silicon materials. Examples can
be given with radiator hoses, fuel valves, break like components, etc.
Silicon materials preserve their qualities for a long period of time resulting in their greatly
extended exploitation period. This makes their application and use in machines and equipment
of various types safe and convenient. The high level of chemical and electrical inertness of
this type of material makes it ideal for use in electronic and computer industry.
From this it can be concluded that silicone hoses have many advantages in comparison with
hoses made from other types of rubber, for example natural rubber. Compared to other types
of rubber hoses, silicone hoses possess the following qualities:
- They can withstand extreme temperatures and abrupt temperature changes;
- Silicones have low reactivity to the substances they distribute, which makes them safe
to use;
- They have greatly prolonged exploitation period, which makes them really profitable
solution;
- They are not affected by atmospheric influences like sunlight, ozone, rain, etc.;
- Silicone hoses are high resistant to physical strain on the inside s well on the outside.
They withstand high pressure on their inner and other walls;
- Silicone does not support the growth of bacteria and mold on the inner surface of the
hose, which makes it suitable for use in sterile environments;
- It preserves its form during physical and mechanical stress:
- Silicone is characterized with lack of taste and smell;
- The surface of silicone does not absorb water and liquids:
- Silicone hoses are not susceptible to corrosion and dont change their color when
coming in contact with different substances;
- The plasticity of the silicon material allows for the manufacturing of parts, products
and hoses with different forms, sizes and width.
Silicone hoses can vary in structure and constitution of the material used in their
manufacturing, depending on their intended purpose. The main elements of a silicone

hose are core or inner layer, which comes in immediate contact with the distributed
substance, reinforcement, which can be made from different materials and outer
covering layer.
- The outer layer is made from silicone material in accordance to what the hose will be
used for. It is important that the silicon is of high quality, which can be determined by
the richness of the substance color.
- Second layer made from the same material or with
some changes in its chemical contents is covering the
inner layer and serves as inner skeleton for the hose.
- The fabric reinforcement is added for more resistant
structure of the hose, mechanical strength and avoiding of torsion. There are different
types of reinforcements, most common being from polyester, fiberglass, Nomex and
metal (armature). Polyesters have lower prices but their endurance to high temperatures
is also lower in comparison with the other types. Fiberglass is the most widely used,
when there is a need for the hose to endure high temperatures.
- Outside the reinforcement are added one or more layers of silicone, depending of the
mechanical forces it will be exposed to. This is the outer layer of the silicon layer.

The last outermost part of the house is the color covering.

Silicone hoses are various kinds and with diverse applications. They are used for suction of
hot air and gases, distribution of foodstuff and liquids, sterile solutions, distribution of
coolants, etc. Choosing a quality and suitable silicone hose is a sure investment, since its long
exploitation period is making it very economic. The advantages of the silicon hoses make
them irreplaceable in many different industrial sectors, healthcare, the automotive industry
and other fields, where the high qualities of silicone hoses can be applied.