Sanitary Hose Assemblies for Sanitary Hose Assemblies for Biopharm Applications: PTFE vs Silicone Applications: PTFE vs Silicone
Sanitary hose assemblies are used throughout pharmaceutical processes including load cell isolators, portable tank hookups, CIP jumpers, as well as a numerous other applications. Most pharmaceutical sanitary hose assemblies have specific specifications to meet: steam sterilization, autoclavability, operating pressure and compliance with USP Class VI requirements. Although most hose materials meet FDA guidelines, there are only two materials that fit the more demanding need of pharmaceutical applications: platinum cured silicone and smooth bore PTFE, or Teflon. Deciding on which of these two materials to use is dependent on your application and the requirements for the hose assembly.
Platinum Cured Silicone: Properties
- Lightweight
- High flexibility
- Not suited for high pressures
- Sizes range from ¼” to 4”
- Sizes from ¼” – 1” are available with braid reinforcement
- 4 ply hoses from ½” – 4” are mandrel wrapped and cloth reinforced with a wire helix
- Silicone hoses have very little tensile strength on their own – the braided material only stretches a limited amount
- Somewhat gas permeable
- Limited chemical resistance – silicone is not compatible with many solvents
Which is the Better Hose Choice: Silicone or PTFE?
The choice between these two types of hose materials should be determined by your hose application. The cost differential between the two is not particularly significant so if you get into applications above 100 PSI, the PTFE hoses are probably preferred. On the other hand, if you need something light and flexible such as short load cell jumpers, silicone works great. For constant steam applications, conductive PTFE hoses are recommended. For a hose assembly that is being connected and disconnected constantly, PTFE material is going to hold up better but comes at a heavier weight. Each application for hose assemblies is unique. You need to consider a multitude of factors before deciding on the right hose material for you. Here are some questions that you should take into account when deciding on your hose material.
- What is the product?
- What is the process temperature?
- How is the hose going to be used?
- What is the process pressure?
- How are you going to clean the hose?
- What is the cleaning temperature and pressure?
If you are still unsure about the type of hose material to use in your processing equipment, please get in touch with a Sales Representative at Tri-Canada – Contact Us or call us at (905)677-9000