TPU Hose / Tube Material | High-Flexibility and Oil-Resistant TPU for Pneumatic and Hydraulic Hoses
TPU Hose / Tube Material
TPU material systems for industrial hoses and tubes used in media transfer, protective sleeves,
pneumatic/fluid lines, and general-purpose tubing where performance depends on a stable balance of:
flexibility, kink resistance, media resistance (oil/grease/coolant mist, project-dependent),
hydrolysis stability in humid heat, abrasion/cut resistance, and extrusion dimensional control.
a tube that passes initial flexibility checks can still kink, creep, or drift in OD/ID after long running.
This page maps typical failure modes to the right TPU system direction.
Flex Fatigue
Oil / Grease (Project)
Coolant Mist (Project)
Hydrolysis / Humid Heat
Abrasion & Cut
Extrusion Stability
Vacuum Sizing
Typical Applications
- Pneumatic tubing – stable flexibility, kink resistance, and OD/ID control for fittings.
- Fluid / media transfer lines – abrasion resistance plus media compatibility (project-dependent).
- Protective sleeves – drag and edge abrasion, cut resistance, and flex durability.
- General industrial hose – repeated bending and long running with stable dimensions and surface.
Core Requirement Mapping
Use the matrix below to map your dominant constraint to a practical material direction. Many projects require a combined strategy.
| Requirement | What It Usually Means | TPU System Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-bending / kink resistance | Tube must resist local collapse under tight bends and repeated handling | Balance hardness + wall thickness + melt strength; avoid over-soft systems without structural margin |
| Media resistance (oil/grease/coolant mist) | Tube exposed to oils, lubricants, or coolant mist; swelling and softening risk (project-dependent) | Oil/grease-aware package and verification under real media and temperature |
| Hydrolysis stability in humid heat | Wet + heat accelerates property loss; risk rises with poor drying and overheating | Polyether-oriented positioning with moisture/heat control discipline and long-term wet aging validation |
| Abrasion & cut resistance | Dragging on floors, rubbing at workstations, edge contact, and scratching | Abrasion/cut-focused system with stable surface and toughness balance |
| Extrusion stability & dimensional control | OD/ID drift, ovality, surface defects, and unstable sizing during running | Extrusion-stable system matched to vacuum sizing, haul-off control, and heat history |
Key Topics for Hose / Tube Projects
1) Kink Resistance vs Wall Thickness & Hardness
Kink resistance is rarely a single-material property. It is driven by the coupling of:
hardness, wall thickness, tube OD/ID ratio, and melt strength and sizing stability.
A softer tube can feel better initially but may collapse under tight bends. A harder tube may resist kinking but lose flexibility.
- Hardness up: improves structural resistance, but increases minimum bend radius.
- Wall thickness up: improves kink resistance, but affects weight, cost, and fitting compatibility.
- Process stability: poor sizing or temperature drift can cause ovality that triggers local collapse.
2) Oil / Grease / Coolant Mist Resistance (Project-Dependent)
Media exposure can cause swelling, softening, and changes in friction or flexibility over time.
Coolant mist and oil vapor exposure may look mild but can accumulate with heat and time.
Always validate under your real media, temperature, and exposure duration.
route to the Advanced Functional page and define the verification plan first.
3) Hydrolysis & Humid-Heat Performance (Polyether Direction & Risk Points)
Humid heat accelerates degradation risk. Polyether-oriented TPU systems are often positioned for improved stability in wet environments,
but results still depend on drying discipline, heat history, and wet aging validation.
- Moisture + overheating is a common hidden cause of property loss and surface defects.
- Wet aging validation should reflect real exposure: temperature, time, and stress state (bending/pressure).
- Dimensional drift can appear after wet/heat cycling even if initial sizing is stable.
4) Abrasion & Cut Resistance (Dragging / Friction / Edges)
Tubes and sleeves often fail at contact points: dragging on floors, rubbing at fixtures, and sharp workbench edges.
A good system keeps abrasion resistance without becoming brittle under repeated bending.
5) Extrusion Stability & Dimensional Control (Haul-off, Vacuum Sizing, Heat History)
Dimensional stability is a system result, not only a machine result. TPU needs a controlled process window for:
consistent melt temperature, stable vacuum sizing, haul-off balance, and controlled cooling.
Heat history can change shrink behavior and affect OD/ID repeatability.
- OD/ID drift: typically linked to temperature and haul-off changes, or unstable vacuum sizing.
- Ovality: often worsens kink risk and fitting leakage issues.
- Surface defects: can come from moisture, overheating, or poor melt filtration (project-dependent).
Typical Grade Families & Positioning
| Grade Family | Hardness | Design Focus | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| TPU-IND TUBE Flex & Kink-Resistant | 80A–95A | Flexibility with structural margin to reduce kink and collapse risk | Pneumatic tubing, general industrial tubes with frequent handling |
| TPU-IND TUBE Oil / Grease-Aware | 85A–55D | Media resistance positioning for oil/grease exposure (project-dependent) | Fluid lines, lubrication environments, coolant mist zones |
| TPU-IND TUBE Hydrolysis-Aware (Polyether Direction) | 80A–95A | Wet/humid stability positioning with process discipline and wet aging validation | Humid heat environments, wash-down areas, wet service tubing |
| TPU-IND TUBE Abrasion / Cut-Resistant | 90A–60D | Drag, friction, and edge contact resistance while keeping toughness balance | Protective sleeves, workstation rubbing, floor dragging lines |
| TPU-IND TUBE Extrusion-Stable Dimensional Control | 85A–55D | Stable extrusion window for OD/ID repeatability and vacuum sizing control | Precision tubing, fittings-driven applications, long running production |
Note: Final selection depends on OD/ID, wall thickness, minimum bend radius, pressure, media exposure, temperature,
and the extrusion line setup (vacuum sizing, haul-off, cooling path).
Processing Recommendations (Extrusion-Focused)
- Dimensional targets: define OD/ID tolerance and ovality limits early to prevent repeated fitting failures.
- Surface and friction: assess whether surface slip is acceptable or needs controlled friction (project-dependent).
- Validation: test after real bending cycles and after wet/heat aging when service demands it.
Request Samples / TDS
If your project involves multiple constraints (kink resistance + oil exposure + hydrolysis + abrasion + tight tolerances),
route it to Advanced Functional Industrial TPU for a combined selection and verification plan.
- Tube type: pneumatic / fluid line / protective sleeve, and target application
- OD/ID and wall thickness, required tolerance and ovality limits
- Minimum bend radius and bending cycle expectations
- Pressure and temperature range
- Media exposure: oil/grease/coolant mist/water/cleaners (project-dependent)
- Extrusion line notes: vacuum sizing, haul-off, cooling path, and any known instability
