Description
Rubber hoses serve as indispensable components across diverse industrial sectors, including automotive manufacturing, construction machinery, oil and gas exploration, and industrial fluid transfer systems. These hoses facilitate the conveyance of various substances such as fluids, gases, and granular materials, operating under fluctuating pressure and temperature conditions. The performance of rubber hoses hinges significantly on the reinforcing agents integrated into their composition, and semi-reinforcing furnace black (SRF) has emerged as a prime choice for manufacturers aiming to strike an optimal balance between mechanical robustness, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. Distinct from high abrasion furnace black (HAF), which emphasizes maximizing strength, SRF provides moderate reinforcement coupled with exceptional flexibility, making it the ideal additive for rubber hoses that demand both durability and bendability.
For seamless operation in industrial machinery and equipment, rubber hoses must endure internal pressure, external impact, and repeated bending without succumbing to cracking or leakage. Semi-reinforcing furnace black meets these exacting requirements through its medium particle size, measuring between 40-50 nm, and moderate structural properties. This unique combination offers adequate reinforcement, enhancing tensile strength and pressure resistance while preserving the inherent flexibility of the rubber matrix. When incorporated into rubber compounds like EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer) or NBR (nitrile butadiene rubber) at a loading of 15%-20%, SRF can boost the hose’s burst pressure by 20%-30% relative to unreinforced rubber. In industrial fluid transfer applications, a manufacturer of heavy-duty hoses utilized SRF-reinforced EPDM, enabling the hoses to achieve a burst pressure of 1.2 MPa, compared to 0.9 MPa for unreinforced counterparts. This significant improvement allows the hoses to withstand the high-pressure demands of industrial fluid transportation systems.
Flexibility remains a crucial characteristic of rubber hoses, particularly those deployed in applications involving frequent bending, such as automotive coolant hoses or hydraulic hoses in construction equipment. The moderate reinforcement provided by semi-reinforcing furnace black ensures that the rubber retains its elasticity, with a low modulus of elasticity (10-15 MPa at 100% elongation). This property allows the hose to bend freely without kinking. Rigorous testing on automotive coolant hoses demonstrated that SRF-reinforced hoses could endure 100,000 bending cycles (at a radius of 50 mm) without cracking, outperforming hoses reinforced with HAF, which could only withstand 60,000 cycles. This enhanced flexibility minimizes the risk of hose failure in dynamic applications where movement and vibration are prevalent, ensuring reliable performance in industrial machinery and equipment.
Beyond strength and flexibility, semi-reinforcing furnace black also enhances the chemical resistance of rubber hoses, which are frequently exposed to oils, fuels, and corrosive fluids in industrial settings. The chemical inertness of SRF prevents it from reacting with these substances, ensuring the long-term stability of the rubber compound. For instance, NBR hoses reinforced with SRF exhibited minimal swelling (≤10% volume increase) after immersion in diesel fuel for 72 hours (in accordance with ASTM D471), compared to 15% swelling in unreinforced NBR hoses. This superior chemical resistance is vital for automotive fuel hoses and industrial fluid transfer hoses, where exposure to aggressive fluids can lead to premature degradation and failure.
Our range of semi-reinforcing furnace black products is meticulously engineered to cater to the specific requirements of rubber hose manufacturers. With grades optimized for different rubber types and industrial applications, our standard SRF grade (N774) features an iodine adsorption value and DBP (dibutyl phthalate) absorption value that ensure consistent reinforcement properties. These tailored products enable manufacturers to produce high-performance rubber hoses that meet the stringent demands of various industrial sectors, from automotive manufacturing to heavy equipment operations.
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