Rubber Laboratory Tubing

It is not an overstatement to say that laboratories would be very difficult to function without different types of rubber laboratory tubing. The application of rubber tubing in laboratories is so diverse that all suitable types of rubber are used to meet different needs. As the laboratory environment is rather harsh due to constant contact with various, very aggressive chemicals and agents, rubber tubing is produced from rubber types that have great temperature resistance, tensile strength, rebound resilience, tear strength, abrasion resistance and so on.

That is why, in addition to natural rubber, silicone, BUNA-N, FKM, and neoprene stand out. You will often come across butyl rubber as well as various fluorocarbon elastomers. Each of these rubbers has different characteristics. Some of them, like silicone, are softer and more flexible, while others are rigid. Anyway, you can find different hardness, which varies from very soft, even around 20 Shore A, to such rigid and stiff, which measures about 90 Shore A.

All these types of rubbers withstand high and low temperatures very well. What they all have in common is that they can be exposed to temperatures lower than 50 degrees Celsius, and while some, such as FKM and silicone, can withstand up to 300 degrees Celsius. Neoprene and natural rubber do not tolerate such high temperatures, but certainly over 100 degrees Celsius.

In addition to thermal stability, FKM and butyl rubber have particularly good chemical resistance. Silicone is often used for contact with flammable substances because it is flame retardant, and this is very important in laboratories where fires can occur. It is up to you to choose the material, colour and size of rubber tubing you need. It is clear to you that material and size are most important, but colour can help you more easily distinguish which tubing you are using for what purpose.