I have been trying to pump 20% Ethanol and 30% KOH Aqueous Solution using silicon, Tygon etc tubing but all of these tend to dissolve in the Ethanol. Please suggest the tubings which could survive for long hours.
Dear Aaditya,
you can check out Watson Marlow's chemical compatibility guide for tubing material:
https://www.wmfts.com/en/support/chemical-compatibility-guide/
https://docs.rs-online.com/7d9d/0900766b8065b6fd.pdf
Marprene and Bioprene should be suitable.
Best
Michael
Pumping ethanol and KOH mixture can be challenging because of the chemical and physical properties of both substances. Ethanol is a flammable and volatile liquid that can cause fire or explosion hazards. KOH is a corrosive and caustic base that can damage the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Therefore, the tubing used for pumping this mixture should be resistant to both ethanol and KOH, as well as able to withstand high pressure and temperature.
According to some sources, the best tubing material for pumping ethanol and KOH mixture is PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), also known as Teflon. PTFE is a synthetic polymer that has excellent chemical resistance, thermal stability, and low friction. PTFE can resist almost all acids, bases, solvents, and oxidizers, including ethanol and KOH. PTFE can also operate at temperatures ranging from -200°C to 260°C, and pressures up to 55 bar.
Another possible tubing material for pumping ethanol and KOH mixture is FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), which is a copolymer of PTFE. FEP has similar properties to PTFE, but with higher flexibility and transparency. FEP can also resist ethanol and KOH, as well as other chemicals, at temperatures up to 200°C and pressures up to 30 bar.
Other tubing materials that may be suitable for pumping ethanol and KOH mixture are PFA (perfluoroalkoxy), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), and ECTFE (ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene). These materials are also fluoropolymers that have high chemical resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength. However, they may have different degrees of flexibility, transparency, permeability, and cost compared to PTFE or FEP.
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