Soft and hard hoses in color overview

Transporting and dosing liquids

At Thomafluid, everything revolves around hoses, hose connectors, taps and valves, dosing and conveying technology. The Thomaplast range includes semi-finished products such as sheets, films and round rods, fastening elements such as plastic screws and nuts, laboratory plastics as well as O-rings, plugs and other seals. The Thomapor series includes products for membrane, sintered and process filtration. Thomadrive is the latest product division with a focus on construction and drive technology.

The special focus will be on the Thomafluid product group. It comprises a wide range of soft, rubber-elastic elastomer hoses for a wide variety of tasks in laboratories and operations, for example laboratory hoses, pressure hoses, pharmaceutical hoses and pump hoses for applications in chemical engineering, analysis technology, industrial technology, operating technology, pharmaceutical technology or medical technology and in the food sector.

Rubber hoses

The rubber hoses in the green manual are made of the materials butyl rubber (IIR), chloroprene rubber (CR), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE, such as EPDM/PP), fluororubber (FKM, formerly FPM), acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), natural rubber (NR), polyurethane (PUR), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and TYGON materials, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), silicone rubber (VMQ). The hose material is selected according to the operating conditions. The range is suitable for chemically corrosive media, vacuum or pressure applications and for hot or cold temperatures. All hoses are available for micro applications - with small inner and outer diameters - as well as for macro applications with large nominal diameters and are available in small batch sizes.

Hoses made from hard plastics

In addition to soft elastomer hoses, RCT also has hard plastic hoses and plastic tubing in its range, listed in the blue manual. A large selection of analytical hoses, pressure hoses, pharmaceutical hoses and corrugated hoses are offered, which are used as gas hoses, food hoses, industrial hoses, insulating hoses, cooling water hoses, acid and alkali hoses, solvent hoses, mineral oil hoses, laboratory hoses or vacuum hoses.

Als Werkstoffe dienen hierfür primär harte Kunststoffe: Polyethylen-Schläuche niedriger und hoher Dichte (LDPE bzw. HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA), rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC-U), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyimide (PI), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), perfluoroethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), modified fluoroalkoxy (MFA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Hoses and tubes made of these materials are used in chemical and pharmaceutical technology, biotechnology, pneumatics and process technology. Capillary tubes and capillary tubing are also used in analytical applications, especially in the field of liquid chromatography (LC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Hoses made of hard plastics, especially PEEK hoses and hoses made of fluorinated plastics such as PTFE hoses, have higher pressure resistance, gas tightness and better chemical resistance than elastomer hoses. They are stiffer, less flexible and not rubber-elastic.

Hose connectors and adapters made of plastics and metals

The Reichelt Chemietechnik range also includes matching hose fittings, hose nozzles and other plastic adapters, such as threaded sockets and double nipples, to go with the hoses. These include luer connectors and luer lock connectors made of plastics and metallic alloys. Plastic hose connectors based on the Luer connection principle - in straight, angled or T-shaped versions - are available as adapters for both hard and soft hoses. They are available as male and female versions.

HPLC connectors or high-pressure connectors are used to adapt capillaries made of stainless steel, titanium or plastics such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK). They are used to connect capillaries to each other and to connect them to devices or existing lines. The capillary connectors are made from plastics such as PEEK, PTFE or polyoxymethylene (POM).

Hose nozzles made of polymers and metallic alloys are available in straight, reducing, T, Y, cross, elbow or bulkhead designs, some with male or female threads, some with a barb, some detachable. Fittings for hard hoses and pipes, in both metric and imperial versions, are available both as compression fittings and cutting ring fittings - also in electrically conductive versions.

The connectors for hard hoses or pipes include threaded adapters, tri-clamp connectors, micro connectors made of chrome-nickel steel and stainless steel and straight connectors with kink protection for pneumatics - with internal or external threads. The products also include quick-release couplings, also known as hose couplings, which enable the safe, drip-free connection and disconnection of hose lines - without the use of tools. Depending on the type, quick-release couplings are available with hose nozzles, hose fittings or threaded connections. They are manufactured either from metallic alloys such as brass or stainless steel or from various plastics, usually PP (polypropylene), PA (polyamide), POM (polyoxymethylene), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) or PSU (polysulfone). The connectors are completed by adhesive and welded connectors for pipes made of PP, PVC-U and PVDF, with adhesive or welded sockets and sometimes with external or internal threads.

Taps and valves in various designs

The RCT range also includes taps and valves made of metallic alloys and polymer materials such as PVDF, PTFE, PP and PFA. These include drain taps, shut-off and straight-through taps, multi-port taps and mixing valves, Luer lock taps, ball valves made of plastics and metals, taps with integrated plug connectors or hose connections, solenoid valves, pinch valves, pressure maintenance valves, diaphragm seals, regulating valves, non-return valves and manual shut-off valves.

Flow meter for process reliability

In chemical, laboratory and industrial engineering, there are applications in which maintaining constant flow rates is of great importance. Influences such as pressure or temperature fluctuations, but also changes in the density and viscosity of the medium can change volume flows and thus disrupt production processes. Various flow meters are used to monitor such processes, such as flow indicators and flow monitors as well as electronic and variable area flow meters.

Flow indicators or flow indicators are used to visualize the smallest flow rates. The flow rate is indicated by a visible ball bearing or by a rotating impeller in the indicator. These sensors are manufactured either from metallic alloys such as brass and stainless steel or from plastics such as PS (polystyrene), SAN (styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers) or TPX (polymethylpentene). Flow monitors are also made of brass or stainless steel. As reliable control units, they are used to monitor processes with higher operating temperatures and greater pressure requirements.

While these two types are limited to indicating the flow rate qualitatively, it can also be determined quantitatively with the help of flow meters. Reichelt Chemietechnik offers an extensive range of proven variable area flow meters made of metal, acrylic glass and the hard plastics PA 6, PP, PVDF, PTFE and PVC-U for the precise determination of flow rates of flowing liquids or gases in pipes or hoses on technical systems and laboratory equipment. Electronic flow meters also enable precise measurement of a specific quantity of the medium flowing through.

Simple and complex pumps

RCT also offers an extensive range of pumps. Hand pumps and foot pumps are among the filling pumps, and there are also suction pumps such as water jet pumps as well as more complex pump types, such as dosing pumps for pumping very small quantities of liquids as well as condensate pumps or positive displacement pumps, which are used to pump aggressive gases and condensates. The portfolio also includes various versions of swash plate pumps, centrifugal pumps, diaphragm pumps and gear pumps for a wide range of applications.