INTRODUCTION

Pharmaline hose was designed and developed to provide customers with an improved high purity hose product which combined all the requirements they had requested for Pharma and Biotech applications, particularly the need for improved flexibility.

Pharmaline hose not only supercedes but also improves upon the wide variety of alternative products currently available, including Silicone Rubber Hose, and other silicone covered, PTFE lined hose products (which rely on non-FDA approved adhesives).

Pharmaline provides an alternative to Silicone Rubber Hose in many applications where the disadvantages associated with silicone hose create problems - in particular, in applications involving repeated autoclave sterilisation.

CONSTRUCTION

Pharmaline is built around a patented PTFE hose liner design, which is smooth bore inside but convoluted outside to generate excellent flexibility combined with 'hoop strength'.

A stainless wire and stainless steel wire braid reinforcement adds to the kink resistance, crush resistance and the resistance of the hose to both pressure and vacuum. For sizes 3/4" and above, a SS helical wire is wound in to the convolutions to further reinforce the hose design.

A thick wall cover of white Platinum Cured Silicone rubber is extruded on to the braid and a text line is printed on the cover, which includes the hose Batch Number, for traceability.

For sizes up to 1 1/2" bore a thin cover of transparent Platinum Cured Silicone rubber is co-extruded on top of the cover and printing, and co-vulcanised. The printing is therefore encapsulated, and cannot rub off. For larger sizes the printing is not encapsulated.

This reinforced PTFE construction is strong enough to withstand full vacuum and kinking without the need for either internal convolutions or the need to bond the liner to an outer cover, making it an ideal hose liner design, and a significant improvement upon standard products currently available. (Competitors' products include a non-FDA approved adhesive layer outside a thin wall PTFE or FEP liner tube, which can leach into a process fluid through small pinholes and cracks).

The primary application area for Pharmaline is in high purity pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical and foodstuffs plants where ease of cleaning the hose, both internally and externally is required.

Pharmaline is also very suitable for use in other general industrial applications, particularly those where hot fluids or gases are being passed, if there is any risk of burns due to accidental touching of the hose - for example, hot oil or steam transfer applications.