Flexible hoses Suitable for the passage of food products: liquids, solids, powders, chocolate, ice cream, fats or spirits.
Pipes suitable and certifiable according to ITALIAN, EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN REGULATIONS.
In WHITE NATURAL RUBBER, THERMOPLASTICS, POLYURETHANE, FLUORODERIVATIVES.
ATTENTION!
In the food & beverage sector, one of the most critical aspects to consider when choosing a tube is certainly the cleaning and sterilization process. This can be of a chemical ( CIP : cleaning-in-place) or thermal ( SIP : sterilization-in-place) nature, i.e. through the use of steam.
In particular, with regard to CIP processes , the following are normally used:
The use of the SIP process has the aim of eliminating the bacterial load.
Tube selection & sterilization
The cleaning and sterilization operations are in fact among the main causes of the aging process of the materials present in the structure of the flexible hose, due to chemical aggression and thermal stress, which determine a progressive degradation of the physical-mechanical properties. For this reason they become fundamental parameters to be taken into consideration for the complete assessment of the suitability of the pipe for a specific application.
In fact, in most cases, the food product conveyed is less problematic than the cleaning process which is chemically more aggressive and can significantly affect the life of the hose in use.
It is common practice that companies working in the food sector have defined and consolidated very specific cleaning & sterilization procedures that are best suited to their production system. The purpose of this communication is exclusively to provide guidelines to facilitate orientation in choosing the most suitable polymer for the application.
Technical specifications on sterilization
Below are the most common situations.
Cleaning agent | Rubber type | Concentration | Temperature |
Hot water | EPDM, Butyl, NBR, Silicone, PFA, PTFE | Up to 95°C | |
TPE | Up to 90°C | ||
NR, NR/SBR, TPU | Up to 50°C | ||
Steam | NR/SBR, NR | 100°C max 10' | |
NBR, EPDM, Butyl | 130°C max 30' | ||
SILICONE | 135°C max 30' | ||
UPE | 100°C max 20' | ||
PFA/PTFE | 130°C 30' | ||
TPUs | Unsuitable | ||
TPE | 120°C 10' | ||
sodium hydroxide | NBR, NR, NR/SBR, Silicone, TPU | 1% | 80°C |
EPDM, Butyl, TPE, UPE | 3% | 80°C | |
PFA, PTFE | 3% | 80°C | |
Nitric/phosphoric/peracetic acid | NR, NR/SBR, NBR, TPU | 1% | Only at Ta followed by washing with Ta water |
EPDM, Butyl, TPE, Silicone, UPE | 1% | Ta | |
0.5% | 80°C | ||
PFA/PTFE | 3% | 80°C | |
Hydrochloric acid, hypochlorite | NR, NR/SBR, NBR, TPU | 200ppm | Only at Ta followed by washing with Ta water |
EPDM, Butyl, TPE, Silicone, UPE | 200ppm | 80°C max 20' | |
PFA/PTFE | 200ppm | 80°C max 30' |
Further considerations
It is also necessary to specify that the frequency of washing, the increasing variations of the percentages of chemical solution with respect to those recommended or the intensification of the duration of the sanitization process can significantly reduce the life of the pipe.
For correct maintenance, we also recommend carrying out a periodic inspection to verify the physical-mechanical conditions of the pipe. For further information consult our technical office .