Industrial hoses:
Stainless steel v. rubber

Industries and markets are growing. Continuously. The same applies to the variety of liquids, steams and gases used. What is a safe factory or installation today could become a hazardous place tomorrow. Because of these continuous processes, industrial hoses transporting substances must be able to adapt. In other words, industrial hoses need to be evolving from one day to the next. One of these dynamic industries is the chemical and petrochemical market, which uses steam hoses. Steam hoses can be made of stainless steel or rubber. We have compared the use of stainless steel and rubber hoses and have uncovered some interesting facts.

A very different perspective

Steam hoses are typically used in chemical and petrochemical plants, which have aggressive atmospheres containing substances such as chlorine and salt. Industrial steam hoses are also handled roughly by workers. When comparing steam hose materials in various conditions, there is only one test in which stainless steel hoses can compete with rubber — high pressure. In all other tests—involving temperature, acids, flexibility, liquids and the weight of the hose—rubber hoses always fare better than stainless steel.

The disadvantages of stainless steel hoses

1. When unprotected stainless steel hoses are dragged across the ground, they become damaged — the wires of the outer braiding break and the hose cracks.
2. Protected stainless steel hoses have an outer spiral, but this workaround increases the weight of the hose, and the steam hose is therefore heavy and difficult to use.
3. Protected stainless steel hoses with an outer spiral tend to get caught on obstacles, which damage the hose.
4. Stainless steel hoses also tend to kink behind the fitting, causing steam leaks to occur.

Switching from stainless steel to rubber

For the reasons given above, more and more users are replacing their stainless steel hoses with rubber steam hoses, such as the Inferno. Thanks to the high quality of the casing, the hoses are resistant to chemicals, heat and weather. In addition, the casing is smooth and lightweight, meaning that the hose can be dragged over the ground with ease.

Repair

Another great advantage rubber hoses have over stainless steel hoses is the possibility for repair. Most stainless steel hoses cannot be repaired on-site, requiring the steam hose to be sent off for repair or returned to the supplier. When a steel steam plate needs to be repaired, the only option is to replace it with a new one. However, with our rubber steam hoses with brass fittings, on-site repair is not a problem. What's more, the fittings can be re-used.