BRIDGEWATER, N.J.—Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. is marketing three new hose lines, all of which provide increased flexibility.
Its PureGard Plus-HP is a high-purity hose used in applications such as liquid filling lines, load cells, product transfer, steam-in-place and clean-in-place.
The other two are chemical transfer hoses—the Chemfluor Convoflex BCSR, an anti-static offering, and the Chemfluor Convoflex WCSR, a multipurpose product.
The PureGard Plus-HP hose was developed for customers that want a high-purity offering but one that was more flexible than the traditional Teflon hoses that have been offered in the industry, according to Lily Lei, Saint-Gobain marketing manager for fluid systems.
Saint-Gobain made the hose with multiple layers of reinforced platinum-cured silicone, stainless steel helical wire reinforcement and an extruded FEP liner, which is bonded to the silicone hose to give a high-purity fluid path while maintaining fluid integrity, the company said.
The product is constructed using only materials compliant to Food and Drug Administration standards to reduce potential contamination of sensitive fluids, the firm said.
"The solution we brought to the industry is we combined the silicone with the fluoropolymer," Lei said. "The fluoropolymer is in the core to give high purity, chemical resistance and the smooth bore. Then we reinforced it with silicone, which still gives high purity but also the flexibility of a silicone hose."
Saint-Gobain targeted the product for personal care uses such as shampoos, creams and lotions. One customer from Thailand already is using the hose for its filling applications. It is available in internal diameters of 3/8 to 2 inches.
While the hose is available, Lei said the firm is just starting its marketing push for it in North America. "We're working with our distributors and visiting end users to show them the product," she said.
Both of the chemical transfer hoses provide flexibility, high pressure ratings and chemical resistance, and they can be used for bulk transfers of chemical, steam, solvents, acid, adhesives and other materials.
The WCSR multipurpose hose is made with an EPDM rubber-covered SS braided low profile and a PTFE inner core. It gives a reduced force-to-bend and smaller minimum bend radius when compared to smooth bore rubber-covered hoses, the company said.
The BCSR product is made with an anti-static, chemical resistant PTFE inner core and reinforced with an acid-resistant EPDM outer cover. Lei said it eliminates electrostatic discharge that can build up in the inner core of the hose, as well as offering the increased flexibility.
"The hose is inspired by end user requirements," she said. "The conductive liner will discharge the electricity automatically. Customers keep asking us to come up with an FDA compliant conductive hose, and even though (the hose) is black, it is FDA compliant."