NewAge Industries manufactures three versions of polyurethane tubing: unreinforced, braid reinforced, and a style designed for pneumatic applications. All three offer durability, natural flexibility, excellent weathering characteristics, and good chemical resistance. Typical uses include air and liquid transfer, granular material and abrasive powder lines, cable jacketing, insulation sleeves, and petroleum product transfer.
Polyurethane, also known as PU or PUR, combines properties of both plastic and rubber. It blends abrasion and tear resistance, plus high tensile values, with nearly unlimited flexural abilities and low compression set. What sets polyurethane apart from other thermoplastics is its chemical resistance combined with its superior weatherability. The polyurethane tubing products also offer the following:
• Cold temperature flexibility approaching 90°F ( 67°C)
• Made without plasticizers (ingredients added to compounds to increase flexibility; plasticizers can leach out of the tubing and contaminate the flow)
• Resist most gasolines, oils, kerosene, and other petroleum-based chemicals
• Provide more pressure and vacuum resistance than corresponding sizes of PVC or rubber
• Can be heat formed into shapes to fit with or around machinery
NewAge makes its unreinforced polyurethane tubing called Superthane® in two formulations – ether and ester. The ether-based material handles water and humidity well, while the ester-based formula offers overall better petrochemical resistance. Both types are made from non-toxic, FDA-compliant materials, and the ether-based material is listed by the National Sanitation Foundation for use with potable water (NSF 61).
Urebrade®, the company’s braid reinforced polyurethane tubing, is ether-based and offers many of the same performance characteristics as Superthane. Urebrade incorporates open mesh polyester braiding within walls of polyurethane, allowing it to provide much greater pressure carrying capabilities than unreinforced styles. Where applications involve repeated flexing, heavy vibration or abrasion, Urebrade offers superior service life over other materials.
Superthane Pneumatic tubing is produced in eight colors for easy line identification in applications such as pneumatic control systems, robotics, instrumentation lines, sensing systems, lubrication lines and fluid circuitry. It, too, is manufactured from ether-based materials to handle applications in wet or humid environments.
