Tubing
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A tube is a long hollow cylindrical object, with a variety of uses, especially in fluid transportation. The term "hose" is mainly used for flexible tubing.
While similar, there are some differences between a tube and a pipe, mainly in that a pipe is more carefully engineered and generally are constructed as well defined parts, while tubes tend to be more simple. Pipes are generally specified by a nominal diameter with a constant outside diameter (OD) and a schedule that defines the thickness. Tubes are most often specified by the OD and wall thickness, but may be specified by any two of OD, inside diameter (ID), and wall thickness.
Contents
General
Tubes can be made from a variety of materials, such as metal (carbon steel, stainless steel, copper), plastic, etc. Tubes in general are rigid bodies, though some plastic tubes, such as those used in plumbing can be a bit malleable.
Hose
A hose is a type of flexible tube, either made of rubber, plastic or other flexible materials. It is used for carrying fluids.
Availability
Tubes and hoses can be bought from most hardware stores.
Chemically resistant tubing, like HDPE and PTFE can be bought from lab suppliers.
Projects
- Transport fluids
- Cooling
- Make vacuum
Safety
Rubber tubing is in general not compatible with strong corrosive reagents like halogens and nitrogen oxides, where PTFE tubing is more suitable.
