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The Ultimate Guide to Lab Tubing Materials: What You Need to Know Selecting the right tubing material is crucial for maintaining the integrity and efficiency of your laboratory operations. Tubing plays a vital role in fluid handling, influencing everything from chemical compatibility to system longevity. In this blog post, we'll explore the top five tubing materials you should consider for your lab and provide detailed insights into the unique benefits and applications of each material. In this article you’ll learn Top 5 tubing materials and their lab applications Key factors to consider when choosing tubing material Flexible vs rigid tubing Need help finding the right tubing? Top 5 Tubing Materials and Their Lab Applications Peroxide vs. Platinum-Cured SiliconeSilicone is a highly versatile tubing material, available as peroxide-cured in platinum-cured options. Peroxide-cured silicone features less compliance making it more cost-effective for general-purpose use. While platinum-cured silicone provides superior purity and lower extractables, making it ideal for sensitive applications like pharmaceuticals. Case Study: A pharmaceutical lab specializing in biologics, platinum-cured silicone tubing was selected for use in the cell culture harvest process. This tubing was chosen for its superior purity, ensuring that the sensitive biological fluids remained uncontaminated during transfer. The platinum curing process minimized extractables and leachables, which was critical in maintaining the integrity and viability of the harvested cells. The flexibility and biocompatibility of the platinum-cured silicone tubing made it ideal for this application, ensuring smooth and reliable transfer of the cell culture without compromising the final product's quality. TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) TPE tubing combines the flexibility of rubber with the durability of plastic, making it a popular choice in labs requiring a balance between flexibility and chemical resistance. TPE is also known for its low extractables and leachables, making it ideal for biopharmaceutical applications. Case Study: Soft TPE tubing was utilized in a chromatography gravity-feed column for protein purification. The tubing's flexibility and chemical resistance made it an ideal choice for this application, where precise control of flow rates was crucial. TPE tubing's low extractables and leachables ensured that the purity of the proteins was maintained throughout the process, avoiding contamination and preserving the integrity of the samples. Its durability also allowed the tubing to withstand repeated use in the gravity-feed column, ensuring consistent and reliable performance in the purification process. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)Often referred to as “vinyl” tubing, PVC tubing is known for its clarity, chemical resistance, and affordability. It's widely used in laboratories for general-purpose applications where transparency is required for monitoring fluid flow. Case Study: In a laboratory focused on microbiology, PVC tubing was chosen for use in a vacuum filtration setup. The tubing's clarity allowed researchers to easily monitor the filtration process, ensuring that the liquid was being properly filtered without interruption. The chemical resistance of PVC tubing also provided reliable performance when filtering different media, while its affordability made it a practical choice for the lab's frequent use of vacuum filtration in various experiments. TPV (Thermoplastic Vulcanizate)TPV tubing offers excellent chemical resistance and durability, with a flexible nature that makes it easy to work with in various lab settings. It is often used in applications where both strength and flexibility are needed. Case Study: In a microbiology lab, TPV tubing was selected for use in an agar dispensing system. The tubing's excellent chemical resistance ensured that it could handle the hot, viscous agar without degrading, while its flexibility made it easy to integrate into the dispensing setup. TPV's durability allowed the tubing to maintain its integrity through repeated cycles of dispensing, providing reliable performance and reducing downtime for maintenance. The consistent, smooth flow of the TPV tubing ensured that the agar was dispensed accurately into Petri dishes, critical for producing uniform culture media in high-throughput lab environments. PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy Alkane) PFA tubing is highly resistant to chemicals and extreme temperatures, making it ideal for harsh lab environments. It is often used in applications involving aggressive chemicals or where ultra-high purity is required. Case Study: In a lab specializing in cryogenics, PFA tubing was chosen for use in the storage and transfer of cryogenic samples. The tubing’s exceptional resistance to extreme cold made it ideal for handling liquid nitrogen and other cryogenic fluids, ensuring that the samples were preserved at ultra-low temperatures without risk of tubing failure. PFA’s high chemical resistance and purity were crucial in preventing contamination, maintaining the integrity of the samples during storage. The durable, non-reactive nature of PFA tubing ensured consistent performance in the demanding environment of cryogenic sample storage, safeguarding valuable research materials. Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Tubing Material There are many factors to consider when choosing the right tubing material for your application. From chemical compatibility to compliance, it is important to understand that each tubing material is uniquely designed for specific applications. Choose the best tubing material for your laboratory application based on these factors: Temperature Resistance to fluid and operating temperature is crucial, especially if your lab processes involve extreme heat or cold. Tubing that can withstand the required temperature range will prevent failures and ensure consistent results. Chemical Compatibility Certain chemicals can react with the tubing material by leaching into your sample or degrading the tubing. Other compounds can stick to tubing and release later, causing sample contamination. Utilize the Cole-Parmer Chemical Compatibility Database to ensure compatibility. Compliance Tubing materials must meet specific regulatory requirements for certain applications, especially in food, beverage, or pharmaceutical labs. Choosing compliant tubing ensures you meet industry standards, such as FDA or USP Class VI standards, to ensure safety and reliability. Quickly and easily access your Cole-Parmer Certification of Compliance for applicable tubing materials at your convenience. Flexibility and durability Tubing must be flexible enough to accommodate your equipment and durable enough to withstand repeated use without cracking or breaking. Tubing with the right level of flexibility can easily adapt to your lab's specific configuration, reducing the risk of kinks or blockages that could impede fluid flow. Durability is crucial for ensuring the tubing can endure the physical stresses of your lab environment. Whether it’s repeated bending, exposure to high pressures, or contact with aggressive chemicals, durable tubing resists wear and tear, extending its lifespan and reducing the need for frequent replacements. Color and transparency Do you need to be able to visually monitor flow or do you need to protect your sample from UV rays? Transparent tubing allows you to see what's flowing inside, which is crucial for monitoring and maintaining the process. Opaque tubing, ideal for outdoor applications, can protect your sample from UV light and ozone degradation. Flexible vs. Rigid Tubing When choosing tubing material for your application, the hardness, or durometer, plays an important role. Durometer, or Shore durometer, is a standardized device used to measure the hardness of plastics. Shore hardness is expressed by a number ranging from 0 to 100 on either a Shore A or Shore D scale. The higher the number on the scale, the harder the material Flexible tubing features a Shore A durometer Rigid tubing has a Shore D durometer Flexible tubing is characterized by its pliability, allowing it to bend and conform to different shapes and angles. This makes it ideal for applications where the tubing needs to navigate through tight spaces or for use in peristaltic pump heads. Rigid tubing, as the name suggests, is much less pliable and designed to maintain its shape even under pressure. This type of tubing is ideal for applications where structural stability and resistance to deformation are critical. Need Help Selecting the Right Tubing? At Cole-Parmer, we understand that every project has unique requirements and budget constraints. If you're unsure which material best suits your needs, or if you have specific requirements that go beyond the basics, reaching out to an expert is essential. Our experts are here to help you find the right tubing material for your lab, ensuring you get the best value without compromising on quality. Shop our entire catalog of tubing and hose for all your laboratory needs today.

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