Silicone Rubber Tubing for Medical, Food, and Industrial Applications

Silicone rubber tubing is widely used in applications where flexibility, durability, cleanliness, and resistance to demanding operating conditions are required. From medical fluid transfer and pharmaceutical processing to food production and industrial equipment, the right tubing material can support reliable and hygienic performance.

As a Silicone Rubber Tubing manufacturer in USA, Elastostar Rubber Corporation provides custom silicone tubing in different sizes, wall thicknesses, hardness levels, and material grades. The company manufactures silicone rubber tubing in the USA and offers options for medical, food-grade, pharmaceutical, laboratory, automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications.

What Is Silicone Rubber Tubing?

Silicone rubber tubing is a flexible tubular product made from silicone elastomer. Its combination of flexibility, durability, temperature resistance, and chemical resistance makes it suitable for fluid transfer, insulation, sealing, and other applications.

Depending on the intended use, silicone tubing can be produced using different formulations and curing methods. Options include platinum-cured silicone, peroxide-cured silicone, food-grade silicone, medical-grade silicone, high-temperature silicone, and specialized detectable silicone.

Elastostar offers standard and custom silicone tubing in both English and metric dimensions, with customization available for hardness, wall thickness, color, length, and other specifications.

Why Silicone Is Used for Tubing Applications

Silicone has several properties that make it useful for demanding tubing applications. It remains flexible across a broad temperature range, and Elastostar lists silicone tubing options capable of handling approximately -60°C to 200°C, depending on the formulation and application.

Silicone tubing can also provide resistance to aging, cracking, brittleness, and chemical degradation. Its flexibility allows it to bend around equipment and connect components where rigid tubing may be unsuitable.

The correct silicone compound should always be selected according to the actual operating conditions, temperature, chemical exposure, pressure, and regulatory requirements.

Silicone Rubber Tubing for Medical Applications

Medical applications often require tubing with specific purity, biocompatibility, flexibility, and regulatory characteristics. Silicone is frequently selected for applications involving fluid transfer and medical equipment because it can provide flexibility while maintaining its physical properties under demanding conditions.

Elastostar manufactures platinum-cured silicone tubing for medical, pharmaceutical, laboratory, and high-purity applications. Its applicable materials are available to meet FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 and USP Class VI requirements.

Medical Fluid Transfer

Silicone tubing can be used for fluid transfer systems and medical equipment where flexible tubing is required. It can also be manufactured in custom dimensions to fit specialized equipment.

Peristaltic Pump Applications

Platinum-cured silicone tubing is particularly suitable for certain peristaltic pump and fluid-transfer applications in pharmaceutical and medical environments. Its flexibility allows the tubing to work with repeated compression in compatible pump systems.

Laboratory Equipment

Laboratory environments can require tubing with controlled dimensions and specialized material properties. High-purity silicone tubing can be used in appropriate laboratory fluid-transfer and equipment applications.

Medical and pharmaceutical applications should use tubing with the specific regulatory documentation and material grade required by the end application.

Silicone Rubber Tubing for Food and Beverage Applications

Food processing requires careful consideration of materials that come into contact with food, beverages, cleaning agents, and processing equipment.

Food-grade silicone tubing can provide flexibility and reliable fluid transfer while supporting sanitary equipment designs. Applications can include dairy processing, beverage equipment, food-processing machinery, and other fluid-transfer systems.

Elastostar offers food-grade silicone tubing options associated with FDA 21 CFR 177.2600, NSF/ANSI 51, and 3-A Sanitary Standards, depending on the material and product specification.

Dairy Processing

Silicone tubing can be used in dairy-processing and milking equipment where flexible tubing is required for fluid transfer. The appropriate food-grade compound can help meet the material requirements of the application.

Food Processing Equipment

Food-grade silicone tubing can also be used in processing equipment and sanitary fluid-transfer systems. Some applications may require specialized materials such as metal-detectable or X-ray-detectable silicone.

Elastostar offers FDA metal- and X-ray-detectable silicone options for applicable food-processing environments.

Silicone Rubber Tubing for Industrial Applications

Industrial equipment can expose tubing to heat, chemicals, mechanical movement, pressure, and environmental conditions. Silicone tubing can be specified for applications where flexibility and temperature performance are required.

Industrial uses can include equipment connections, fluid transfer, insulation, machinery, electronics, HVAC systems, and specialized manufacturing equipment.

Depending on the application, Elastostar provides high-temperature and fire-retardant silicone options in addition to standard silicone formulations.

Platinum-Cured Silicone Tubing

Platinum-cured silicone is commonly selected for applications requiring high-purity material characteristics. The curing process can produce tubing suitable for certain medical, pharmaceutical, food, and laboratory applications when the required specifications are met.

Elastostar manufactures platinum-cured silicone tubing in standard and custom sizes. Available options include custom Shore A hardness, wall thickness, color, length, and tubing dimensions. The company lists hardness options from approximately 20 Shore A to 80 Shore A for applicable products.

Platinum-cured silicone tubing can also offer flexibility, tear resistance, pressure resistance, and temperature performance for demanding applications.

Certifications and Industry Standards

When silicone tubing is used in regulated industries, material specifications and certifications can be an important part of product selection.

Elastostar Rubber Corporation maintains ISO 9001:2015, AS 9100D, and IATF 16949:2016 certifications. Its silicone tubing product range also includes material options associated with FDA 21 CFR 177.2600, USP Class VI, NSF Standard 51, 3-A Sanitary Standards, UL, AMS 3195, ASTM D2000, RoHS, and REACH, depending on the selected compound and application.

FDA 21 CFR 177.2600

FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 is relevant to certain rubber articles intended for repeated food-contact use. Silicone tubing specified for food-contact applications should use the appropriate compliant formulation and documentation.

USP Class VI

USP Class VI materials are used for certain pharmaceutical and medical applications where biocompatibility requirements apply. Elastostar offers silicone tubing materials designed to meet applicable USP Class VI requirements.

NSF/ANSI 51

NSF/ANSI 51 is associated with materials and components used in commercial food equipment. Elastostar lists NSF Standard 51 certified silicone material options for applicable tubing and rubber products.

AS 9100d and IATF 16949:2016

AS 9100D supports quality management requirements associated with aerospace applications, while IATF 16949:2016 applies to automotive quality management systems. These certifications are relevant to customers seeking rubber and silicone components for aerospace and automotive programs.

Industries That Use Silicone Rubber Tubing

Silicone tubing has applications across a wide range of industries. Common areas include:

• Medical and healthcare equipment
• Pharmaceutical processing
• Food and beverage processing
• Dairy processing
• Laboratory equipment
• Automotive
• Aerospace
• Electronics
• Industrial machinery
• HVAC equipment
• Chemical and manufacturing equipment
• Marine applications

The required material grade, dimensions, hardness, and certifications can vary significantly between these industries.

Custom Silicone Tubing From a USA Manufacturer

Choosing a Silicone Rubber Tubing manufacturer in USA can be useful when an application requires custom dimensions, specialized material grades, controlled manufacturing, or domestic production.

Elastostar Rubber Corporation provides custom silicone tubing manufactured in the USA. Its capabilities include custom extrusion, in-house tooling, custom dimensions, different hardness levels, wall thicknesses, colors, and cut-to-length options.

Custom manufacturing can be particularly useful when standard tubing does not provide the required inner diameter, outer diameter, wall thickness, flexibility, or installation characteristics.

How to Select the Right Silicone Tubing

Before selecting silicone tubing, manufacturers should review the complete operating environment. Key factors include:

Temperature: Determine the minimum and maximum operating temperatures.

Dimensions: Specify the required inside diameter, outside diameter, and wall thickness.

Hardness: Select a Shore A hardness appropriate for flexibility and application requirements.

Chemical exposure: Check compatibility with the fluids, cleaning agents, and chemicals that will contact the tubing.

Pressure: Consider operating and peak pressure requirements.

Regulatory requirements: Identify whether FDA, USP Class VI, NSF, 3-A, UL, aerospace, automotive, or other specifications apply.

Curing method: Determine whether platinum-cured or peroxide-cured silicone is appropriate for the application.

A qualified silicone tubing manufacturer can help review these requirements and identify a suitable material and profile.

Silicone Tubing Solutions From Elastostar Rubber Corporation

Elastostar Rubber Corporation supplies custom silicone rubber tubing for medical, food, pharmaceutical, laboratory, automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications.

With USA manufacturing, custom extrusion capabilities, multiple silicone grades, and certifications and material options for regulated industries, Elastostar can support projects requiring standard or customized tubing solutions.

Whether the requirement involves food-grade tubing, medical-grade silicone, platinum-cured tubing, high-temperature silicone, or a custom industrial profile, selecting the correct compound and dimensions can help achieve dependable performance.

Contact Elastostar Rubber Corporation to discuss your silicone tubing requirements, material specifications, dimensions, certifications, and custom manufacturing needs.

FAQs

1. What Is Silicone Rubber Tubing Used For?

Silicone rubber tubing is used for fluid transfer, medical equipment, pharmaceutical processing, food and beverage systems, laboratory equipment, industrial machinery, automotive applications, aerospace equipment, and other applications requiring flexible tubing.

2. Is Silicone Rubber Tubing Suitable for Medical Applications?

Yes, specific medical-grade silicone tubing can be suitable for medical and pharmaceutical applications when manufactured from an appropriate formulation and supported by the required testing and documentation. Elastostar offers applicable silicone tubing materials meeting FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 and USP Class VI requirements.

3. What Certifications Are Available for Silicone Tubing?

Depending on the material and application, silicone tubing can be available with FDA 21 CFR 177.2600, USP Class VI, NSF Standard 51, 3-A Sanitary Standards, UL, AMS 3195, ASTM D2000, RoHS, and REACH-related material options. Elastostar also maintains ISO 9001:2015, AS 9100D, and IATF 16949:2016 certifications.

4. What Is Platinum-Cured Silicone Tubing?

Platinum-cured silicone tubing is produced using a platinum curing system and is commonly selected for high-purity applications. It is used in suitable medical, pharmaceutical, food, laboratory, and other applications where specific purity and material requirements apply.

5. Can Elastostar Manufacture Custom Silicone Rubber Tubing?

Yes. Elastostar offers custom silicone tubing in different dimensions, hardness levels, wall thicknesses, colors, and lengths. Custom tubing can be produced for specific medical, food, pharmaceutical, aerospace, and industrial requirements.